Domestic Situation
by Knightwood
Summary: Follow on of Sight Beyond Sight. Camille is left torn and confused after she leaves Dai Shi, and even although she is receiving help from an unikely source, how easy can it really be to turn her back on a man she's followed for thousands of years?
1. Domestic Situation

Due to popular demand (and the fact that I wanted to write more about the amazing JF series anyway) here is the follow-up to Sight Beyond Sight. Time for the usual disclaimers.

**Legal:** I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events etc. Any of the events, places etc. not covered by the above rights are to be considered non-canon and purely the creation of the author.

**Rating:** T – there will be mild adult themes, language and violence.

**Timeline: **Takes place immediately following the events of Sight Beyond Sight. I'd prefer it if that story was read first for background, otherwise many of the references will not be understood.

The tests at the hospital took a few hours, far longer than Lily or RJ would have liked, since they just wanted to spend some time with each other, but the doctors wanted to confirm exactly how much of Lily's eyesight had returned. She'd spent more time looking at seeing-eye puzzles, eye charts and lights than she'd ever care to repeat, but at least they had confirmed their initial findings that her eyesight had completely returned.

RJ pulled up outside the restaurant in the van and killed the engine. He reached across, gently placing a hand on her thigh, squeezing it gently. She turned towards him, giving him that same warm smile that made his heart skip a beat any time he saw it. Her beautiful, brown eyes shone brightly, reflecting the pale light of the nearby street lamps. It was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. Without thinking, he leant over, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"I could get used to that." She replied with a grin. "Do we have to go in right away?"

"The guys have been coping with the evening rush without me and Fran." He told her regretfully. Nothing would have made him happier than just sitting there with her, but he had kind of left them in the lurch. "I guess I really should go in and help."

"Are you sure you're fit to?" She asked with a small pout. "I mean Master Finn did beat you up pretty bad, I'm sure I could make you feel better."

RJ thought about this for a second. Blowing off the last of the evening service to spend time with her was a tempting proposition. However, his sense of duty overcame the temptation. He'd relied on the others so much during the last couple of weeks. Theo had missed out on so much free time with Fran since they got together, he owed him big, and Casey had been working like a Trojan to keep everything ticking over in RJ's enforced absence.

"I'm sorry Lily," he said regretfully, "I kind of owe them. I'll make it up to you later."

"You better." She replied, playfully shoving him a little. Getting out of the car and locking up, they made their way into the restaurant; they were greeted by the sight of Casey and Theo sitting in one of the booths, quietly sipping sodas.

"I see you coped with the rush." RJ commented, seeing them relaxing.

"Lily!" They both called out, rushing over to her, almost crushing the life out of her with tight, enthusiastic hugs. "How did everything go?"

"Let me breathe and maybe I'll be able to tell you." She gasped as they finally released her. "My vision's 20/20. It's like the accident never happened."

"You're kidding!" Theo yelled with excitement as they both bear-hugged her again. "Lily, that's great!"

"Great, now all I have to do is recover from the shattered vertebrae." She remarked sarcastically. "Thanks guys, it's really glad that you're here. It's great to see you again!"

"I think this calls for a celebration." RJ stated. "Casey, fire up the ovens, I'll..."

His words tailed off as he saw a familiar face enter the room. Lily stared in disbelief at the new arrival. They both shot to confront her, shifting into a guarding stance as Camille came into the room. Casey threw himself between Camille and her two opponents, spreading his arms wide defensively.

"It's alright, she means no harm." He rushed out, hoping to prevent them attacking her. "She's here to help out, that's how we got the restaurant cleared out so fast without Fran."

"Uh Casey, that's Camille." Lily whispered. "You know, Dai Shi's right-hand lizard?"

"Chameleon." Camille corrected her, holding her hands up submissively. "He's telling the truth, I won't attack, I promise."

"Like that means a lot coming from you." Lily snapped aggressively, only for Casey to move in her way.

"She's telling the truth, I trust her." Casey told her.

"Hold it Lily, take it easy." RJ implored his girlfriend. Lily still wasn't sure, but she trusted RJ's judgement, and so she backed down reluctantly. "Camille, could you wait in the kitchen for a second?"

Camille turned and headed into the kitchen without protest. She knew the Rangers had no reason to trust her, yet she already owed them, especially Casey. He'd agreed to take care of her while she figured out what she was going to do next, he had released her from Dai Shi's restraining bracelet, and now he was stopping his friends from attacking her. She wasn't planning on making any moves against them. She went into the kitchen and awaited the invitation to return, or the order to leave patiently.

Back in the restaurant, RJ folded his arms in front of himself as he looked at Casey and Theo thoughtfully. "So, which of you is planning to explain what the situation is?" He asked. "Why exactly is Camille wearing one of our uniforms, and why is she here?"

"She kind of worked here tonight." Casey explained. RJ's eyebrows almost disappeared beneath his hair line as he said this.

"Say what now?" He asked, totally bemused.

Casey gestured to the booth, inviting his friends to sit back down as he prepared to explain. "After I destroyed that bracelet that Dai Shi was using to hurt her, she ran off and started squatting at the old manor house where she took you RJ."

"So how did she end up working here?" Lily asked, keeping an eye on the kitchen door. It was understandable that she didn't feel comfortable having Camille in the restaurant. She had already kidnapped RJ and tried to lure her into a trap once. She wasn't going to allow her to manipulate them again.

"She doesn't exactly have a bank account." Casey told her. "She was hungry, and she needed help. Rather than go back to Dai Shi, she came here and asked for help. I agreed to bring her some supplies every now and again."

"So you gave her a job and a home here without asking?" RJ asked him. "Did you really think that was a great move?"

"I didn't give her a job or a home. She's still living in the manor house." Casey informed them. "All I did was offer to help her out with some food while she figured out what she wanted to do next. She actually came to the restaurant to help on her own; she really helped us out of a tight spot. We were getting pretty mobbed without Fran until she showed up."

"I still don't trust her." Lily remarked. "Is having her around here really such a great idea?"

"She isn't going to fight us." Casey told her. "But she isn't going to fight Dai Shi either. She can't face that. She's no threat to us, I'm sure of it." He shifted a little closer. "She doesn't have anywhere else to go. If we don't help her, she's sure to end up back with Dai Shi. At least this way we have one less enemy to worry about."

RJ considered Casey's logic, finding himself unable to find a fault in it. As long as they were careful not to make themselves vulnerable around her, it made sense to give her an alternative to going back to him and end up being an enemy again. "Call her through." RJ instructed his cub. Casey made his way through to the kitchen, finding Camille sitting in the corner like a scolded schoolchild, waiting for instructions. He squatted down in front of her, looking into her eyes.

"RJ wants to talk to you." He told her. "Come on."

He straightened up, before offering his hand to help her up. Camille smiled as he did this, reminding herself about the difference in the way he treated her to the way she was used to being treated. Casey didn't hurt her the way he had. He had treated her with a kindness that she had rarely felt. He had no reason to help her, if anything he had many reasons to take the first opportunity to destroy her, however, he had gone out of his way to help her in her hour of need. He had even gone so far as to stand up to his friends for her, even when he couldn't be sure of her intentions himself, hell, even she didn't know right now. Reaching out, she took his hand, feeling his soft, gentle grip as he hauled her back up gently. She looked into his eyes, finding a warmth there that had been absent from the gaze of the man she was trying to escape, the man that despite his faults, his treatment of her, she still loved. They made their way slowly through to the restaurant.

"Camille, sit down if you'd like." RJ greeted her, gesturing to a chair. She took a seat as she awaited his judgement.

"You can understand us being sceptical as to your motives, so I'd like to lay a few ground rules." RJ told her. "We may occasionally have to discuss sensitive Ranger business, so upstairs in the back room is off limits."

Camille looked at the floor and nodded to indicate that she understood.

"Secondly, you will continue to live in the manor house until such time as a more permanent solution can be found. You will only come into the restaurant for your shifts. Is that understood?" Again, Camille nodded. He turned to look at Casey. "Casey will bring you some groceries every couple of days."

"Thank you." She whispered in return. They were keeping her at arm's length, and she couldn't blame them, but things were looking up. At least she wasn't going to have to fend for herself. It had been so long since she had been by herself she wasn't sure she'd be able to cope.

"Casey, take her back to the manor house." RJ commanded, gesturing to the door. Casey and Camille left the room, leaving Theo with RJ and Lily.

"You know, if you called Fran, I'm sure she'd love to spend time with you." RJ suggested.

"But I thought we were going to celebrate Lily..." He tailed off as Lily put her arms around RJ and looked at Theo, giving a curt nod in the direction of the door. "You know, I'm sure you're right. I think Fran would like a bit of time to ourselves."

"There's no need to hurry back." RJ told him as he collected his jacket and cell phone. "We'll be just fine."

Theo left the restaurant, leaving RJ and Lily alone with each other. RJ pulled her across onto his lap, causing her to yelp before she began giggling. "I believe you said you could make me feel better." HE said cheekily. Lily stared up at him with a bright smile.

"I will." She told him, placing a hand behind his head and pulling him in close.

Back in the dark fortress, Dai Shi felt an unusual sensation in his chest. He had felt it since Camille had left to battle the Rangers a couple of days ago. Without her there, he only had Carnisoar and Jellica for company, and they weren't really all that great as company. They were merely there to train him in the use of his evil energies, and were not exactly very sociable. The Renshi beasts could talk, but they were generally idiots, and not terribly interesting company. Camille had always been his closest counsel. She regularly advised him, and she followed him faithfully for millennia.

Making his way down the corridor, he passed by her empty bedchamber, feeling a slight sense of disappointment as he realised that, yet again, her bed had not been slept in. She was the only one of his underlings whose advice and opinions he could trust, and he was certainly the only one he had any real regard for. The others were there for use as warriors, or as cannon fodder as the situation fit, but this was the first time the loss of a minion had concerned him in the slightest. She would no longer be by his side to comfort him following his defeats in training by the dark overlords. She would no longer defend him against their attacks when he got into trouble.

Looking at her discarded possessions, he felt that strange tight sensation in his chest again. It troubled him. It affected his heartbeat; it made it difficult to breathe. Was he coming down with something? He couldn't remember the last time he'd fallen ill. His power was so strong that most venoms and viruses simply had no effect on him, so why was he feeling this way?

He finally made his way into the throne chamber, finding Jellica and Carnisoar there waiting for him. Jellica was sitting on the throne, rapping her fingers on the arm rest, while Carnisoar paced the room impatiently. Dai Shi knew exactly why they weren't happy. They had summoned him some time ago, yet in his digression of thought to the loss of Camille, he had taken a lot longer to get to them than he had intended to.

"We are not accustomed to being kept waiting." Carnisoar snarled, launching into an attack. Dai Shi was barely able to power up into his armoured mode in time to block the attack.

"Remember that it was I who revived YOU!" Dai Shi roared defiantly in response, surging towards Carnisoar. The sky overlord's fury unleashed itself in a devastating strike which sent Dai Shi sprawling to the ground and smashing him out of his armoured mode.

"You would do well to remember that you revived us to help you train." He sneered over Dai Shi's fallen body. "I'm beginning to wonder whether or not we're wasting our time!"

"He has potential that much is clear." Jellica. "It's just a shame he keeps surrounding himself with weak underlings and incompetent monsters."

"I don't notice any of your creatures having any great success." He replied, hauling himself back to his feet.

"Mind your tongue!" She hissed, snapping to her feet from the throne. Dai Shi prepared to defend himself against both overlords as they advanced. "I suppose you have a better plan?"

"Well, matching them with brute force doesn't seem to work." He remarked. "Every time we throw a monster at them that's too powerful, they somehow end up getting more power and becoming even harder to defeat."

"Are you suggesting we stop attacking them?" Carnisoar quizzed him. "I suppose we should surrender."

"Far from it." He replied. "I'm just suggesting that perhaps subtlety and subterfuge will be more powerful tools."

"You're starting to sound like that weakling Camille." Jellica sneered. "Where is she anyway? Did the Rangers finally destroy her? I suppose it saves me doing it."

Dai Shi felt the unpleasant tightness in his chest again at the mention of Camille's name. What was happening to him? Why was he thinking about her so much? Why was he getting this feeling when he thought about her? Had the destruction of the restraining bracelet somehow given him a mystical connection to her? No one had ever destroyed one of those bracelets before, he didn't know if there was some side effect. His next words surprised even him.

"Camille lives." He announced. "She has given me wise counsel for many years. She is a master of subterfuge. I'm sure if she returned to us she could be of great use to us."

"Please, you can't even control her." Carnisoar said dismissively. "We both saw your pathetic attempt to keep her under control with the bracelet."

"Perhaps control is not what we need." He suggested. "Control means we tell her what to do. That stifles her creative mind and curtails her ability to form her own plans." He turned away from the overlords and made his way from the throne room. He thought hard about how he could get her to come back. Finding her would be no problem, he'd known her for thousands of years, he could easily predict her movements. The real challenge would be getting her to return and stay with him. The bracelet had failed miserably, and he knew why. After it had hurt her so many times, having it destroyed was such sweet release that she was bound to run. He had managed to get her to stay with him for thousands of years before the bracelet. Rather than force her to stay, it had achieved the opposite effect. It had actually driven her away. Now it was time to get her back, and he knew just how to do it.

Camille and Casey arrived in the manor house shortly after dark, making their way inside. Camille led him inside to the main sitting room. Casey looked around the old house, taking in the decor.

"Not bad." He remarked, hoping not to sound sarcastic. He knew they couldn't yet allow her to stay with them; it was still too soon to allow her that level of access to them and their home. However, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. There was no power and no heating in the abandoned building. Camille shed some light in the room by lighting a few candles. Casey could see that she had uncovered most of the furniture. At least she appeared to have comfortable surroundings. "How are you going to cook the supplies I bring you?"

"The stove is a wood-fuelled range cooker." She informed him. "I can usually find something to burn."

"I'm sure we can find you somewhere else." He informed her, coming over and touching her shoulder softly. Camille felt his touch and smiled. She felt safe around him, she knew he'd never hurt her intentionally if he didn't have to. Stroking the dressing on her injured wrist, she shrunk a little away from him, feeling her cheeks becoming a little warm.

"It's not so bad; the bedroom has plenty of blankets and a comfortable mattress, so it's still comfortable." She informed him. "It might not be the bedchamber in Dai Shi's fortress, but it's warm and dry. Besides, it's not like I can exactly afford rent on an apartment."

Casey had to concede the point; it wasn't as if they could afford to put her up anywhere. He didn't feel good about leaving her here, but at least she was safe. "I'll bring some stuff to make it a little more comfortable." He told her, stroking her back reassuringly. "Lily and Fran probably have some old clothes they can lend you, and I'm sure I could rustle up some more cushions and candles."

"Thank you." She breathed turning into him as she felt his touch, throwing her arms around him. Casey was a little stunned by her reaction, but found himself returning the gesture. Warm tears leaked down Camille's face as he held her in his arms. She couldn't contain herself in her gratitude over Casey's generosity. He had given her more in a few days than most had given her in her entire life. She felt an unusual sensation, one she hadn't felt in a long time, she actually felt happy. Casey pushed her away a little after a long hug, easing himself from her grasp.

"I have to go." He informed her gently. "I'll be back tomorrow with some more supplies."

"Thanks you." She replied quietly, turning away from him. She knew he wasn't going to do anything to hurt her, but his hug was so warm and genuine, it had made her feel amazing, him leaving was bound to make her feel disappointed. She couldn't help but feel a little hurt at being pushed from his grasp, it brought back horrible memories of how her relationship with Dai Shi had slowly transcended from one of intimate passion to one of passive neglect. "I'll come to the restaurant tomorrow morning."

Casey touched her shoulder once more, before leaving wordlessly. He had felt a shift in her mood, and knew something was playing on her mind, but he didn't know what to say or do about it. It troubled him to leave her like this, but at least she was safe. He turned back thoughtfully once more as he got outside, surveying her new home. It wasn't ideal, but at the moment it was the best they could do. As he walked away, he never even noticed the dark figure of Dai Shi appearing down the street.

Camille was preparing for bed, lost in her thoughts. The red Ranger had already done so much for her, what more could she expect? It wasn't as though she had done anything to deserve anything more from him or anyone. She was a pathetic specimen, totally reliant on the kindness of others. She wasn't strong and independent like Casey, or...

She stopped in her tracks as she found her thought straying back to him. She knew he had hurt her more times than she could remember, but she still couldn't help feeling for him. She had been with him, loved him for too long to just shrug off her feelings for him. As her mind was distracted, she never even noticed him enter the room.

"Camille." He began, causing her to jump. She turned around, watching him enter, her heart pounding furiously in a mixture of fear and excitement at his return. Dai Shi approached her slowly, and reached out a hand. She flinched away from him, expecting an attack, though 

instead, he placed his hand tenderly against her face, stroking her cheek. Camille closed her eyes and felt that same shiver down her spine she had felt the first time she'd met him in the woods all those years ago. "I came to say I'm sorry."

"You're sorry..." She croaked, barely able to concentrate at his touch. He pulled his hand from her face. Camille opened her eyes to find a most surprising sight. The man she loved was on his knees before her, his head hung low in shame. He was actually submissive before her.

"I have treated you badly." He admitted, with an uncharacteristic note of sadness in his voice. "Since you've been gone, I've felt the pain of your absence in my heart, and it is more agonising than any attack I've ever endured. I know I've not been good to you too much across the years, I know you have no reason to come back, but please, give me another chance."

Camille felt breathless at the display. Dai Shi had never made himself vulnerable in her presence before. He had always remained aloof and empowered around her, but now she was seeing a side she hadn't seen in a long time, the tenderness in him.

"But...but what about everything that's happened?" She asked. "You were going to allow the Rangers to destroy me."

"I had already formed a plan to save you." He told her, getting up and making his way towards her. "I never should have put you in harm's way, it wasn't fair, but when I saw the way you spared the Red Ranger I...I just lost control. It hurt me so much that I couldn't think straight."

"You put that bracelet on me." She reminded him tearfully. "You've hurt me so many times before..."

"It was all because I was afraid." He told her, moving around behind her, and wrapping his arms around her waist. The warmth of his body pressed against hers made her knees weaken as he spoke. "I love you so much. I know my anger sometimes gets the best of me, I know my frustration at my own failures has lead me to take it out on you, but I promise that from now on, I will take out my anger in other ways. I promise I'll try to change."

"Why did you hurt me so much that day?" She breathed, her eyes closing as the sparks flew up and down her spine at his touch. Her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to explode. She truly was back to those early days at the temple with him, the days when he showed her nothing but kindness. She felt it becoming harder and harder to resist his words.

"It felt like you chose the Red Ranger over me." He whispered in her ear as he gently kissed her neck. "I was terrified I was going to lose you."

A couple of warm tears began to run down her face as she heard this. All her horrible thoughts and fears had proven unfounded. He did love her. He stepped back a little, and placed a necklace around her neck. Camille glanced down at it, noting that it was a ring on a length of leather thong.

"I know it will take you a while to decide, I don't expect or want you to make a decision now." He explained as she swept her hair clear to allow him to tie the thong behind her neck. "I'll leave you to make the decision yourself. I will never harm you again regardless of your choice, I swear. If you want me to come for you, just put the ring on your finger."

Dai Shi kissed her gently on the cheek, before teleporting back to the fortress. Camille climbed into her bed, pulling the covers over herself and began playing with the ring thoughtfully. Her brain was like a swirling fog of confusion. She remembered how much Dai Shi had hurt her over the years; she remembered his cruelty in explicit detail, but her mind played to his tenderness, his charm and his passion, the very reasons she'd fallen for him in the first place. He had missed her, he had felt pain at her absence, and he had begged her to forgive him. Was it really true? Had the threat of losing her really been what was needed to get him to change and treat her right? Her heart told her that she longed to return to him. Flit forced himself through her mouth.

"You're not buying that bull..." He was cut off in his protest as Camille wrapped her tongue around him and forced him back inside. She didn't want to hear it; he was only going to tell her to stay away from him. She needed to think carefully about both sides of the decision. She tried to go to sleep, preparing for her day of contemplation tomorrow. She needed her shift at Jungle Karma to see which life she preferred. This was a decision that tore at every part of her heart and her mind. On one hand, the Rangers had shown her kindness and compassion at a time when she needed it the most.

On the other hand, the man she loved wanted her back, and appeared to have genuinely changed. How could she just turn her back on that without giving it some consideration?


	2. Making her mind up

As Camille wakened, the swirling fog of thought in her mind hadn't cleared at all. If anything, she was more confused than ever. Despite its small size and insignificant weight, it hung around her neck like an anvil. Her heart ached to go back to him, to feel the warm, soft touch of his embrace again. Tears leaked from her eyes as she thought about the possibility of him taking her back. He had apologised. He had told her that the dark days were over, told her that he would change, be more considerate and more caring towards her. She longed to feel that way again. It had been so long since she had felt that way. Her mind drifted back to that time.

She was in the forest, following yet another far-from-useful lesson at master Ursa's hands. She was tired, hungry and frustrated, but she knew she would soon be with him. She continued to practice everything he had taught her, every technique that he had actually talked her through as opposed to simply screaming at her for screwing it up. He arrived behind her during one of her hand technique drills.

"You're doing well." He complimented her in a soft, caring voice. "Soon you will be an equal of the masters."

"Please, don't exaggerate!" She responded with a blush, bringing her shoulders up to hide her embarrassment. "I'm nowhere near their level."

"Do you know what the difference is between a master and a first-level student?" He asked her. Camille stared to the forest floor, unable to comprehend the gravity of what he had asked her. The masters were...well...the masters! Their word was law! It was not within anything she had ever learned to question them.

"No." She responded, unable to find any response that would satisfy her curious new tutor. She awaited the punishment that normally followed a wrong or unwise answer to a direct question, only to be held within his comforting embrace.

"The only difference between a master and a student is confidence, and the will of the elders." He told her, holding her close. She found herself unable to breathe as his fingers crept beneath her robes, grazing her abdomen in a tender way she had never felt before. She couldn't hear anything beyond her own heartbeat which assailed her mercilessly at his touch. His honeyed words dripped into her ears with an unspoken love. "You and I could show the elders that we are as far beyond them as the stars are beyond the sky."

"What you speak of is treason." She commented. "They will cast us out."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" He asked her. "Our enemies evolve and progress every hour of every day, while we still cling and clutch to ideals that date before our grandparents were born."

"They...they..."

"They worked then." He interrupted her distracted protest. "Of course, once we fought with wooden sticks. It took a visionary to shape steel!"

Camille tried to think of a counter, but his warm fingers beneath her robe distracted her from any other thought but that of being with the enigmatic and charming young man. Her breath finally managed to break free of her throat.

"The masters would banish us if they knew what we were doing." She told him, turning to face the mysterious stranger who had mentored her so closely for so long. He chuckled a little at her assertion.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" He asked again. "To reach our full potential, we must occasionally paint beyond the lines."

"But the masters..."

"Keep control because their students are not willing to question them." He interrupted, stroking her hair out of her face, his thumb grazing her cheek which created a wave of warmth in her that made her forget all of her protests. They made their way slowly back to her bed chamber, past the throng of people in their way, though everyone was far from interested in the two students deep in conversation. She barely acknowledged their presence as she was so lost in his aura of confidence and strength that she couldn't care less about their petty concerns. All that mattered was him, the man she was falling in love with. "Is it not a good thing to question that we do not understand?"

Camille sat down on her bed, deep in thought. What he was saying to her was in direct violation of everything she'd ever been taught since she had arrived at the temple, but again she found it impossible to defy him. He had given her so much more than any of the other masters that she would never be able to go against him. He sat on the bed, his hand creeping beneath her robe to find the small of her back, causing a jolt of electricity to surge through her as he stroked her spine softly.

"Let me ask you something." He said in an impassioned whisper, placing his hands on her shoulders. He pressed her shoulders softly to the canvas, and then placed a soft kiss on her lips. She knew what was coming, but she never tried to stop it. She wanted it to happen. She needed it to happen, she needed him. "How many of the masters would do this?"

That was the first time she'd ever made love. He had shown her a side of him only she could see. He was a genuine and caring man in his heart. He was there for her at a time no one else had given her a second glance. She was alone in the world except for him, the man she loved.

Now, of course, she was truly alone. She had woken up in the bedroom of the broken-down shack of the old manor house she had taken to squatting in since her departure from his care. She looked around at the peeling paint and the cracked plaster. Perhaps he was right; perhaps she couldn't live without him.

She fingered the ring on her necklace nervously as she washed herself, preparing for another shift. Her new job at Jungle Karma Pizza had given her some form of respite from her crushing loneliness. There, other people actually cared what was happening to her. Or did they? She was a powerful enemy, Dai Shi had trained her well in that respect, and maybe they just didn't want to fight her any more. Maybe they just wanted to manipulate her into leaving them alone.

She morphed into a JKP uniform as Casey hadn't yet brought her that clothing he'd promised. She hated the work; it was lowly, demeaning labour. She was to give people food and clear away after their gluttonous display. It was far from anything she would have to do in his care, but for some reason it felt good to be doing what she was doing. Somehow it felt right. Her stamina and dedication had impressed Casey. He had commented that he'd never met anyone who didn't get bored and give up on table service within the first couple of hours.

She thought at length about the Red Ranger. He mentored her throughout her new experience as a waitress. He had freed her from Dai Shi's bracelet, and he had agreed to help her with supplies as she decided what she was going to do now. She could see him clearly as she closed her eyes. His short, styled blonde hair, his deep, brown eyes and his chiselled, handsome face. She had even noticed his amazing body. He hadn't been as quick to flaunt it as Dai Shi had when she met him, but she could see beneath that tight green t-shirt that a toned, smooth, warm body was waiting for the right woman to claim it. She found it hard to concentrate any time he had to stretch to a high shelf, or lean across a table causing his shirt to lift just enough to expose flesh. It plagued her to think of what it would be like to stroke it, touch it and just feel what she had only been able to see at a distance.

She shook free the cobwebs in her mind as she finished her preparations for her evening of work. She quickly checked her appearance in the reflection from the sitting room window, before preparing to leave. She looked at her living accommodations with a deep sigh as she prepared to leave. It was not by any means as grand as her accommodation when she was with Dai Shi. It was a dwelling more than it was a home.

She arrived only a little into the golden sixty minutes, finding RJ briefing the others. They all cast their gaze her way as she came in the room, before returning to the briefing for the night's service making her feel self-conscious and nervous as she sat down.

"Fran, Theo, you have this evening off." He continued, gesturing to the door. "As much as I want her to rest, Lily has insisted that we owe you a night off and has insisted she works tonight."

Fran took Theo's hand in hers, lacing her fingers gently with his own and squeezed it gently. Camille was barely able to control her jealousy as she watched the affectionate display. She'd give anything to feel that with someone. Fran had only had one date with Theo, and even that had been screwed up through circumstances beyond her control. Tonight, however, he was hers. Theo smiled and squeezed her fingers in return. It had been embarrassing that he'd messed up their first date, and he wanted to make it up to her. Camille squirmed into the corner of the booth, hoping to disappear from view so she wouldn't be forced to see it anymore. Theo didn't notice, however, since he was concentrating on Fran. She deserved better that to get turned away from one of the top restaurants in town, and he was going to succeed in giving her a date to remember, or kill himself trying.

"Thanks RJ." He commented, before leaning over to Lily and hugging her tightly. "Thanks Lily, it means a lot."

Her voice was warm, but her eyes and her expression betrayed her contempt for her new co-worker as she leant in and returned the hug. Her gaze hadn't left Camille since she'd arrived, a gesture that she was pointedly aware of. "You two have a good time." Lily responded, her eyes never shifting from Camille. "We'll be alright here."

"Casey, you have the weekend off." RJ told him. "Again, you've covered admirably for Lily during her absence."

"Thanks RJ." He replied, winking over to Camille. Her heart did a back flip in her chest at this small gesture. He had done so much for her and he continued to treat her well. Her mind had already strayed to a few unspeakable fantasies of the Red Ranger because of his attentions. Perhaps life without Dai Shi wouldn't be so bad; perhaps it was possible to live without him.

"I'm sorry I'm late." She said apologetically. "I was side tracked."

"It's alright Camille." Casey replied soothingly, touching her shoulder. "We haven't opened yet; I can help you catch up with anything you've missed."

Camille shuffled closer to the Red Ranger on the bench, feeling a certain comfort in his presence. She looked down at the hem of his t-shirt, finding to her disappointment that it was down, exposing none of his flesh. There was no coma-inducing flash of abdomen at this moment in time. She turned back to the table, noting the judgemental gaze of the Yellow Ranger. She knew Lily didn't trust her, more importantly; she had no reason to trust her. RJ just greeted her with a nod, barely acknowledging her. Camille looked to the floor, feeling the disappointment of their neglect. She had no right to their care, but the denial of it didn't hurt any less. She felt truly alone.

"Camille, just float around out front and deal with customers." RJ instructed absent-mindedly, waving her off. "It shouldn't be a hard shift."

How wrong he was. Seeing him putting an arm around Lily and pulling her in towards him, cradling her warmly, she felt more alone than ever. She longed to have that feeling with someone. She longed to have someone care about her so much.

The customers flooded in thick and fast during the pre-theatre period, never leaving a single table empty since the evening opening time. Camille made her way towards a table, being shunted aside unintentionally by Lily.

"Welcome to Jungle Karma Pizza, may I take your order?" She greeted the new arrival as Camille watched helplessly. She wanted to help, she truly did, but Lily kept shutting her out. She couldn't blame her, but Lily was doing everything she could to make sure Camille wasn't needed. Casey was coming out of the kitchen with a fresh pie for one of the tables as he saw her shoulders slump in defeat. He felt a great swell of pity for her as he watched her standing there and made his way over to her, snapping her out of her sorrow with a bright smile.

"Camille, me and RJ are swamped in the kitchen." He lied expertly, handing her the dish. "Take this to table 15."

Camille appreciated the gesture, but could see through the thin veil of deceit without trying. He was trying to make her feel like she was needed, like she mattered, but she already knew that wasn't the case. Lily could easily handle things out front, and RJ didn't let her go into the kitchen because of the potential damage she could cause. She nodded to the Red Ranger to confirm the order and made her way to the table, smiling to the family waiting on their meal.

"We've been waiting long enough." The father grumbled. "You do understand the concept of FAST food don't you?"

Camille smiled despite her annoyance. This was something she was going to find hard to get used to, being polite to customers despite their rudeness. Sometimes people were just rude for the sake of it. Sometimes they just felt like giving a service worker a hard time to make themselves feel better. Of course, that didn't make being that service worker any easier.

"I want a fresh soda!" The spoiled young brat at the table whined, realising that despite having sat and watched the ice melt in her drink, she wanted a cold drink and decided to get it refreshed. "I want it now!"

Camille suppressed images of using her long tongue to strangle the impudent young whelp into submission. Perhaps she wouldn't stop there, perhaps she would keep squeezing until she stopped kicking, anything to get her to stop whining.

"Well, get her a new drink!" The father roared, slamming the cup into Camille's chest. "I don't expect to pay for it either, re-fills are meant to be free."

Camille smiled politely and left the table, her fury burning within her. Casey came over to the counter with her, placing an arm around her waist and squeezing gently.

"That guy's an asshole." He commented as she poured the drink. "He comes in once a week. His kid's a spoiled brat and he's just rude for the sake of being rude. Don't let him get to you."

"Why don't you just destroy him?" She asked. "You could do so easily."

Casey laughed for a second before realising she wasn't joking. He pulled closer to answer.

"We don't deal with our problems that way." He answered. "We try to let things work themselves out."

"But he..."

"Is an asshole." Casey interrupted. "He works in a job he hates, and he lashes out at others to make it seem better. Sometimes that means we have to deal with him."

"I still say he should be destroyed." She grumbled as the cup finished filling up.

"Trust me; you aren't the first one to have that thought." Casey sniggered. "I've thought about busting out Jungle Master Mode on him a few times."

Camille giggled and shrunk away from him as he said this. She knew he meant her well, an she knew he was trying to make her feel better about herself, but she still found it hard getting used to having so many people around her. She was used to it being just her and Dai Shi. Only Jellica and Carnisoar had compared to her in her master's view. Everyone else was a mere underling to be disposed of as he saw fit. Everyone else didn't matter, only she did, and she missed that feeling.

"We still have customers." Lily reminded her coldly. Camille shook free the cob webs and got back to work.

At the end of the evening, RJ split the tips accordingly and bid Camille farewell.

"I'll take her back." Casey stated, coming to her side.

"That's a good idea." He replied. "We'll see you in a couple of hours."

Casey walked Camille home, talking about everything and nothing. His voice soothed her in her hour of need. He was as strong as Dai Shi, but he displayed a certain softness about him, a certain understanding of her needs that made her feel completely at ease with him.

"Hey baby, wanna party!" A drunken youth called out to her as she walked with Casey back to her dwelling. Both she and Casey stopped in their tracks, but Casey was the one to make his way over to the drunken youths, his fists balling in anger. Dai Shi would never allow something like that to go unchecked, and apparently neither would Casey. She felt a rush in her veins as she watched him stride over to them, preparing to watch him attack, only to be surprised at him stopping before the young man.

"The lady's with me." He told the inebriated young man. "Now, apologise!"

"She's no lady." He replied drunkenly. "She's..."

Casey thrust a fist towards his face, stopping it half an inch from the end of his nose. "For your own sake, shut up and apologise." He suggested. The drunk nodded and made his way over to Camille.

"I'm sorry." He told her, before staggering away. Camille was easily capable of dealing with him herself, but it amazed her that Casey stood up for her. She had no right to such devotion. He walked her the rest of the way to the manor house, seeing her inside.

"Thank you Red Ranger." She implored him, turning to face Casey. "I really do appreciate everything you've done for me."

"Next time you get a chance, do something nice for a person in need." He replied dismissively, waving her off. "We'll call it quits."

Camille couldn't disguise her disappointment as she heard him say this. He didn't care for her, he felt sorry for her. Casey made to leave, only to be seized roughly by the arm.

"Don't go." She implored him hopefully. "I...I..." She looked around for something to offer him, finding nothing. "I'll make you something."

Casey saw the desperation in her eyes, and felt the passion of her grasp, but he had other commitments. He needed to go back.

"I need to go back." He told her. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Watching him go, Camille's heart deflated in her chest. She had nothing. She had nobody. Even the Red Ranger had turned his back on her. She lay on her bed for what seemed like hours trying to make her decision before she found it so clearly in her mind. There was only one person who gave her his undivided attention, only one man who truly cared about her.

Grabbing the ring, she ripped the leather thong from her neck and began checking the ring against her fingers. Dai Shi had treated it mystically to ensure there was only one finger it would allow itself to be placed on. Tears of joy came to her eyes and her heart soared as she realised this. She placed the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand, finding herself being teleported to his throne room.

"Camille." He welcomed her. Turning around, she found him standing in nothing more than a black silk robe, embroidered in gold thread with the emblem of a lion on his left breast, a chameleon on the right. "I'm so glad you came back my love."

Camille felt herself shiver at his word, hearing the name he'd used for her before. She felt her heart beating faster and harder as he moved closer. "Does this mean what I think it does?" She asked hopefully. Dai Shi made his way behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I need you!" He announced. "I want you to spend every hour of every day with me for all time. I want you to be mine forever. I want you to marry me!"

"But I..."

"Any failing was mine my darling, not yours." He interrupted her, softly kissing her neck. "I love you and I never want to lose you again."

Camille inspected the ring thoughtfully as he stroked her hair softly.

"Perhaps you would like something more comfortable." He suggested. He snapped his fingers and her clothing melted away, being replaced by a red version of the silk robe he was wearing.

"My lord I..."

He places a finger on her lips to stop her. "I am not your lord. I am the man who loves you." He told her. "However, I do want to be your lord. I will do everything I can to earn that title back."

Camille felt her heart racing as she continued to play with her ring. He was leading her towards the bed chambers as she contemplated her options. She was about to turn into the doorway of her own bedchamber when she felt his soft grasp stopping her.

"I thought you might prefer this one." He suggested, gesturing towards his own bed chamber. Camille couldn't see or hear anything else. Her tears of joy drowned out anything other than thoughts of him.

"I will." She whispered, surveying the warm, opulent, inviting bed within. All her dreams had come true all at once. There was no way she could pass this up. "I will."


	3. Camille's Pain

Casey made his way over to the old manor house early the next day, carrying a bag of supplies with him. It had troubled him the way Camille was acting when he left last night. He knew that she wasn't in a great place emotionally, and it pained him to leave her like that, but he had other commitments. He needed to get back. Now, of course he just felt guilty about not staying a little longer to make sure she was alright. He had a feeling that leaving her was going to come back to bite him, but he had no idea how right he was.

He arrived in the manor house, finding it completely deserted. He searched high and low for the troubled woman, finding that she was nowhere to be found. She was gone. Her bed hadn't been slept in, wherever she was she hadn't been in her adopted home since the previous evening at least. He sat on the couch and held his head in his hands. He realised where she was most likely to be, and guilt wracked his heart mercilessly. She had gone back to him, and Casey was likely the reason. He had failed her.

Camille awoke, finding herself in Dai Shi's arms. A smile crept to her lips as she gently caressed his muscled torso with her fingertips, taking joy in once more being with the man she loved. He had taken her back, and he had resolved to treat her better. Absence really had made the heart grow fonder. She looked into his eyes, smiling broadly as she beheld the man she loved. It had pained her to be away from him, but it had all been worth it. He was hers once again; it was like those wonderful early days, the days before the cruelty, the days before the pain. She had found him again, and it made her heart swell with joy to be back with him.

"I love you." He whispered, kissing her softly. Those three words were the most powerful things she had ever heard, as long as he could say that to her, she would follow him faithfully to the ends of the earth and back. Dai Shi pulled himself from the bed, throwing on his robe as he did so. Camille had to admit being a little disappointed. She'd have gladly watched him walk around naked. "I'll get you something to eat."

"Breakfast in bed?" She remarked with a smile. "The last time you got me breakfast in bed was before the crusades."

He sat on the bed next to her and cupped her cheek with his hand, kissing her deeply. "That's my fault." He told her. "I should never have stopped treating you like the queen you truly are. Thank you for giving me another chance to treat you how you deserve to be treated."

Camille closed her eyes and enjoyed the softness of his touch. She knew things were going to be better. He had come back to her at last. He truly did love her. Camille was going to leave the bed, until Dai Shi placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her down.

"I'd glad you came back to me, but you have to understand how much leaving hurt me." He explained to her. "I want to trust you again, but it's hard."

"I'm sorry I hurt you master." She replied dejectedly, her shoulders slumping in submission. Dai Shi smiled as he noticed her reaction.

"I could take your ability to teleport from you, but I want to be able to trust you." He told her. "Stay in my bedchamber for the whole day. Do not leave for any reason and I will trust you."

Camille nodded her head in understanding. She would need to earn back her master's trust. He had given her an opportunity to be his once more. She couldn't pass that up. "I will not leave." She told him submissively. Dai Shi smiled at her, stroking her hair from her face.

"I will bring you your breakfast." He informed her, getting up and heading for the door. "I'll be back shortly."

Camille pulled the covers around herself as she shifted position on the bed. Dai Shi was giving her almost everything she'd ever wanted. He was taking care of her in a way that she'd never known, and he was showing her a tenderness only she knew he was capable of. She inspected her ring absent-mindedly as she awaited the return of her master. He wanted her to be with him for all time. She'd do anything for him, and all he wanted was her to stay in his room.

Casey returned to JKP, carrying the bag with him as he arrived. RJ and Lily noticed him arriving; his expression betrayed his feelings as he made his way wordlessly into the restaurant.

"I thought you were going to see Camille." Lily stated, broaching the subject. Casey looked down at the bag of old clothing he was taking to her.

"She's gone." He responded in a sigh. "She must have gone back to him."

"Well we should have seen that one coming." She replied. "She couldn't stay away from him. You can't blame yourself."

"I thought she was really going to leave him." He responded sadly. "She was making progress."

"She chose him." Lily reminded him. "You can't help her if she isn't willing to help herself."

"Well it's not like you care." She replied coldly, sweeping her hand off his shoulder.

"Casey, that's not fair!" RJ interrupted, coming over to his girlfriend's side. He put an arm protectively around her as he confronted the Red Ranger. "We all tried..."

"Please, you both did everything you could to make her feel as welcome as a fart in a space suit." He snapped aggressively. "She was trying to fit in, she really was, but you gave her the cold shoulder. It's small wonder she went back to him."

RJ attempted to argue, but found it impossible to counter his assertion. He was right; they had given her a hard time. They knew it wasn't wise to just accept her newfound goodness 

on the strength of her word, but in their efforts to keep her at arm's length to keep themselves safe, and in doing so had driven her back to him.

Back in the fortress, Camille sat alone in Dai Shi's bedchamber. He had taken her breakfast, and left without another word. That was now a good couple of hours ago, and she was feeling his absence in her heart. She longed for him to return to her. Little did she know that he was observing her from the throne room to make sure she didn't leave.

"What is the meaning of this trial?" Carnisoar asked him. "If you do not wish her to leave, why not simply remove her powers?"

"Because she will be more useful to me with her powers." He replied.

Camille climbed back under the covers, lying on the bed as she awaited Dai Shi's return. Her nerves and her torment were obvious as she awaited him. He felt a sense of satisfaction creeping into his chest as he watched her patiently and obediently awaiting his return. He would let her wait for him for another couple of hours or so before he would go back to her. She needed to learn who was in control. Now it was time for her to learn obedience. After all, if she had left him once, she could do so again. He needed to ensure that would never happen again.

Lily made her way over to the couch where Casey was lying, taking a nap in the early afternoon. He never even opened his eyes as she approached him.

"What is it?" He asked her. Lily bit her lip as she surveyed him. She felt as guilty as hell about how she had treated Camille, and he wasn't making things any easier.

"I wanted to apologise." She began, shuffling nervously from foot to foot. "I let my feelings about Camille get in the way of doing what's right. I shouldn't have given her such a hard time."

"No you shouldn't." He responded coldly. "It's your fault she went back to him. If you hadn't made her feel so bad, she'd have stayed."

"Casey, I feel bad enough." She muttered, shoving his feet off the couch and sitting down. "I drove her away, I know I did."

Casey put an arm around her shoulders, holding her warmly. Now it was his turn to feel bad. He berated her for her behaviour towards Camille, but making her feel bad wasn't doing anything practical to help matters. Camille was still with Dai Shi whether Lily felt bad or not. "I'm sorry; I know you feel bad about what happened." He told her. "I'm sure you'll try to make it up the next time we see her."

Lily nodded wordlessly and got up from the couch. It was terrible that Camille was still with him. She had suffered at Dai Shi's hands herself, so she was well aware of his capacity for cruelty. She had to feel sorry for her; it was bad enough just being the victim of his attentions, but Camille had been his closest and most regular victim for years. She couldn't help but sympathise with her.

Camille looked to the doorway as Dai Shi returned to her after many hours of neglect. She was overjoyed to see him again. She rushed to his side, throwing her arms around him as he came back to her.

"I missed you my love!" She gasped as he put his arms around her. He smirked at her as he saw her reaction. He had accomplished his objective, he now had total control over her, and not because he forced her. She wilfully gave herself to him. He placed a warm kiss on her forehead, feeling her shudder within his grasp. He still had that power over her.

"I forgive you." He told her, sitting her on the edge of the bed. "I know you wouldn't deliberately try to hurt me."

Camille pulled in closer, resting her head against his chest. He truly did forgive her for her behaviour. She had earned back his love. She moved away a little as she surveyed him.

"I will always be yours." She stated as she surveyed him, taking in his amazing body with her eyes. "I want to be with you. I want to become your wife as soon as humanly possible."

"I know you do, but you have to remember that it's still hard for me to get over what you did to me." He explained. "You chose the Red Ranger over me..."

"I never chose him over you." She interrupted him, the desperation in her voice evident. "I love you."

"You say that, but it still hurts." He told her.

"I'll do anything to win back your trust." She told him. Dai Shi smiled, registering the victory in his mind. He'd succeeded in turning her mind and her heart. Now he could get her to do what he wanted.

"Then do one thing for me." He requested, handing her a dagger. "Prove you love me more than the Red Ranger and kill him."

"My lord, I love you and I will do anything for you, but I owe him so much." She implored him as a few warm tears came to her eyes. "I'll do anything else, but please don't ask me to do this. I can't harm him; he did so much for me please..."

"Then I suppose you don't love me." He sighed, sitting on the bed beside her. "I will not try to stop you leaving; I love you too much to stop you."

Camille felt her heart sinking in her chest as she looked at the man she loved. She could swear she saw him shedding a few tears. She began gently stroking his shoulders as he sat there, by her side again.

"I'll do it." She told him, picking up the dagger. "I'll kill him for you."

"Then you really do love me." He replied, turning to face her. "Come back to me when you're finished."

Camille appeared in Ocean Bluff a short way from JKP. Realising she was still wearing nothing but her robe; she shifted form to be fully clothed once more. She made her way inside, finding Casey serving some customers she entered. He stopped in his tracks as he saw her.

"I thought you had gone back to him." He gasped, moving over to her and hugging her warmly. "I thought you had..."

His words were cut off as the knife pierced his abdomen. He staggered away from her, staring in disbelief at the warm, bright red blood covering his hands before slumping to his knees. Camille stared in horror at the knife in her hand and tossed it aside before rushing to his side, pressing down on the wound to stem the flow of blood.

"Please forgive me!" She wailed as she tended to the injured teenager. "I'm sorry, please don't die!"

RJ and Theo came in from the back room having heard the commotion to see the scene unfolding before them. They rushed over, tending to the fallen Ranger.

"Theo, call an ambulance now!" RJ roared as he held Casey close. The inundation of tears threatened to drown Camille as she watched it all happening. Unable to watch any longer, she ran from the restaurant unable to control herself. She stopped a little way from the restaurant and wept loudly. She didn't even notice as Dai Shi arrived behind her.

"You failed me!" He roared, grabbing her roughly. He teleported with her back to the throne room of his fortress before slapping her hard across the face. Camille spiralled to the floor from the force of the blow, staring up at him through her tears as she felt her cheek burning with pain. She couldn't believe he had raised his hand to her again. Her heart fell apart as she felt his anger wash over her. He grabbed her left wrist in a vice-like grip and hauled her back to her feet.

"I did what you asked." She whimpered as she winced in pain from his grasp.

"The Red Ranger lives!" He reminded her, punching her hard in the stomach. Camille collapsed breathlessly to the floor, cradling her abdomen. Dai Shi kicked her in the ribs a good half a dozen times or more as she floundered around on the floor. "Why? Why do you keep making me hurt you like this? Why must you continue to test my patience?"

"She is not worthy of your thoughts." Jellica announced, arriving in the room. "You do not need her."

"Her animal spirit is most useful to me." He replied.

"Exactly." Carnisoar interjected, arriving behind him. "Her animal spirit is useful, but that doesn't mean you need her."

Dai Shi approached her menacingly, pinning her to the floor. "I'll take from you that which is most precious." He snarled with an evil sneer. "Then we'll see how much interest anyone will show you. Then you will appreciate me."

"Leave her alone!" Flit screeched as he burst forth from her mouth, flying as fast and hard as he could into Dai Shi's face. He circled around to come back and strike him again. "She's done everything for you! She's..."

"Stay out of this you pathetic bug!" Dai Shi roared as he back-handed the fly away dismissively. Knowing he was no match for him, he flew away into the shadows to watch over her as Dai Shi prepared to inflict his latest torture.

"You will appreciate me." He announced in a low, rasping voice as he grabbed her shirt, tearing it. Camille whimpered pathetically as she prepared for the inevitable. "Once you realise that no one else will want you, you will come back to me and beg."

Casey arrived back at Jungle Karma after being looked over by the doctors. The stab wound hadn't penetrated very deeply, or pierced anything vital. It hurt like hell but at least he was going to be alright.

"How are you?" Fran asked him as he re-entered the restaurant. He winced in pain as he sank slowly into a seat near the window, half worried that he would pop a stitch.

"It only hurts when I breathe." He replied honestly.

"I guess you should stop breathing then." Theo suggested. All of the JKP employees found themselves snapped into alertness as one of the windows shattered, heralding Flit's arrival. Lily grabbed a can of bug spray.

"Don't shoot, I surrender!" He rushed out as he landed near them.

"Uh, did the bug just talk?" Theo asked.

"Oh right, you're a bunch of teenagers with ethereal animals living inside them who can turn into lycra-clad superheroes by putting on your sunglasses and a talking fly's the most bizarre thing you've seen." He remarked. "I live inside Camille, I have done for years, I came to ask for your help."

"Our help?" Theo asked incredulously. "Our friend's just gotten back from the hospital, where Camille put him by stabbing him in the gut! What makes you think...?"

"Please, she's hurt." He implored them emotionally. "She's hurt real bad, please help her."

Rushing outside, they found her sitting near a dumpster, hugging her knees and rocking gently as she wept. Her clothes were torn and barely hanging on her frame, though her dignity had been so badly wrecked that her modesty at being almost naked in public was the furthest thing from her mind.

"Camille, are you alright?" Casey rushed out as RJ handed him a blanket. He wrapped it around her tenderly to guard what was left of her dignity. "Camille, please talk to me."

"He took her." She whimpered. "My animal spirit, he took her from me!"

Casey cradled her to his chest as she continued to weep. Dai Shi had taken everything from her. He had destroyed her in every way, but had been cruel enough not to put her out of her misery. Broken and alone in that cold, dark alley, she felt her sorrow drowning her. Dai Shi had taken everything from her that mattered and left her an empty shell of a woman. She wasn't even a woman anymore, she wasn't even a person. She was nothing.


	4. Things Get Worse

Camille sat silently on the couch as RJ finished tending to her wounds. Dai Shi had done a number on her alright; she was black and blue all over. She could barely open her right eye because of the swelling in her cheek, and an impressive black eye was in her immediate future. Several of her ribs were at least bruised, possible even cracked after his vicious assault, but that was far from the worst thing he'd done to her.

Camille had never felt so alone. She felt the aching emptiness within her left by the absence of her chameleon spirit. He had taken her precious animal spirit, leaving her with nothing. She had been so used to her chameleon being a part of her that it's loss was like a warm knife straight through her heart. She longed for her return, but she knew that Dai Shi would be unlikely to return her. He had taken her as the ultimate punishment, the ultimate torture. Camille stared into space, completely unresponsive as RJ completed his examination.

"Physically she'll be fine." He whispered to Casey, seeing the pained expression on his face as he awaited the verdict. "I get the feeling he's hurt her worse than this before, she's quite resilient. It's not her physical wellbeing I'm worried about..."

"It's her animal spirit." Casey interrupted. "She's taking it hard."

"It's understandable; a person's animal spirit is a part of them. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bearer; it's closer than a marriage..."

"Camille's carried hers for thousands of years." Casey sighed. "No wonder she's so upset."

"Her chameleon spirit is an important part of who she was it was like losing a part of her to him." He explained.

"I thought Dai Shi loved her." Casey whispered, looking over to the devastated Camille. By now she could no longer even cry, she had exhausted herself with her tears, now feeling an all-encompassing numbness as she continued to stare into space. She fingered her engagement ring absent-mindedly as she thought about her loss. "How could he do this to her?"

"There is a part of him that cares for her. If there wasn't then her actions wouldn't affect him enough to make him behave so callously." He explained. "If he didn't care, he'd just let her leave. He does love her; it's just not a very healthy form of love."

"Maybe he'll give her back." Camille whimpered. "If I go back and beg his forgiveness, maybe he'll give her back to me."

"Camille, think about this sensibly." Casey implored her, sitting on the couch next to her. "He's never going to change; he's never going to treat you any better."

"He might." She replied, staring into her chest in submission. "He might change if I..."

"Based on what previous experience?" Flit asked her, landing on the table nearby. "You've been with him for millennia, when exactly did he ever treat you how you deserve to be treated?"

"Maybe he has all along." Camille suggested. "Maybe he's right, maybe I am a screw up. Maybe I do deserve everything he's done to me. My chameleon spirit deserves better than me..."

"He stole her from you." Casey stated flatly. "He had no right to take her from you. The chameleon chose you."

"I couldn't protect her." Camille whimpered pathetically, pulling the blanket around herself. "I couldn't stand against him, I couldn't stop him."

Casey held her close, comforting her in his arms. "RJ, what do you think he plans to do with her animal spirit?"

"The chameleon is a useful spirit for him to possess." RJ mused thoughtfully. "With it, he will retain Camille's ability to adopt any disguise. I don't know if he wants to give it to another servant or keep it himself. All I know is that he's not going to give it back any time soon."

"He could keep it?" Casey asked him. "I thought a person could only possess one animal spirit."

"Sadly that's not the case." RJ informed him. "When he kidnapped me that time, he tried to take my wolf spirit. It is possible to possess more than one animal spirit, it just doesn't happen often. Usually a person will not give up their animal spirit, forcing the opponent to take it by force."

"She will serve him faithfully." Camille breathed, pulling in closer to Casey. "He commands her now; she has no choice but to serve him."

"I don't know how, but I'll get your animal spirit back." Casey told her, embracing her warmly. "I promise, somehow I will get your chameleon back."

"Thank you Red Ranger, but he will not give her back easily." She murmured as she rested in his arms.

"Then I'll make him give her back." Casey promised. "I swear I will make him give her back."

Back in his fortress, Dai Shi surveyed the glowing, ethereal chameleon as it thrashed around wildly in the glowing energy cage he had formed for it. He had yet to absorb the spirit into himself since he had removed it from Camille. The spirit slammed itself into the bars of the glowing prison. Just as Camille pointedly felt the absence of her animal spirit, the chameleon also missed her. It couldn't escape from the cage without Dai Shi's say so, but that didn't stop it desperately trying to break free to seek out it's mistress.

"You have her animal spirit." Carnisoar stated, arriving behind him. "Why did you send her away?"

"I need her to see what life is like without me so that she will choose to return for herself." He informed him.

"What of the chameleon?" He asked. "What is your intention for the animal spirit?"

"I will take it into myself." Dai Shi stated with authority. "With it's power in addition to that of the lion, I will finally vanquish the Rangers once and for all."

"So how long will you give her before you go to reclaim her?" Carnisoar asked him.

"I will go for her tonight." He replied. As he reached for the cage, it's bars dissipated, allowing him to grab the chameleon spirit. It squirmed and writhed in his grasp in a desperate attempt to escape, but was nowhere near strong enough to break free of his grasp. It faded from sight, melting into him as he tamed it, forcing it to become his. He felt the chameleon coursing through him, becoming one with him as he held up his hands triumphantly. "She and her chameleon will be reunited, even if only indirectly."

Casey walked Camille back to the manor house. He felt that it would not be wise to leave her alone just yet; the loss of her animal spirit was still raw in her mind. She had barely said anything all day. He was truly worried for her mental state; he had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. Arriving in the living room, he surveyed her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" He asked her, watching her gingerly sitting down on the couch painfully. "I can stay for a little while."

"Thank you Red Ranger." She answered gratefully as she made herself comfortable. "I know I don't deserve everything you've done for me."

"No one deserves what Dai Shi has done to you." He stated, coming over beside her and placing an arm around her. "I wouldn't stand by and let that happen to anyone."

Camille felt her heart racing as she enjoyed his embrace. The pain of her injuries melted away into nothingness as he held her. In that moment she forgot herself, turning into him and placing a warm kiss on his lips. Her gratitude had completely overshadowed her good sense in the heat of the moment as she threw herself at him. She pulled away, realising at once her mistake. She didn't need to wait for his answer to know how badly she'd screwed up. He had been there for her when no one else was, and she'd managed to turn him away from her in an instant with her foolish actions. She couldn't look him in the eye, turning from him as she cursed herself for her impulsive behaviour.

He was good looking, that fact wasn't lost on her, but he was also kind and compassionate. He'd taken care of her, even despite her moment of weakness returning to Dai Shi's side. He hadn't even said anything about her attacking him the previous evening. He must have been in pain, but he was more concerned about her. In her confusion, she had mistaken his pity for affection. She had mistaken her gratitude for love. Casey came over to her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Camille, you're going through a rough time." He explained. "You really shouldn't be making any major decisions right now."

"I'm sorry Casey." She whispered. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"Camille, you're an attractive and intelligent woman." Casey complimented her. "But you can't rush anything like that. You can't make something happen that..."

"You mean you feel nothing for me?" She asked, the desperation obvious in her eyes. Casey thought hard about his position. He didn't want to give her false hope that was what Dai Shi had done to her for thousands of years. He didn't want to end up being an emotional crutch for her, the last thing she needed was to trade one unequal relationship for another. She was desperately clutching for any form of tenderness, any form of affection she could find. He couldn't string her along, it wouldn't be fair. Of course she had already been hurt so much already that he didn't want to hurt her any more. Wracking his brain, he couldn't think of any way out of this situation that wouldn't hurt her any further, and decided that the kindest thing was to try and let her down easy.

"Camille, I don't have those kinds of feelings for you." He explained as delicately as he could. Tears began to run down her face as he held her hand softly. "You don't need to be in a relationship right now. I think you need time to figure out what you want before you can worry about being in another relationship." He released her hand, before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "I need to be going, I'll be back tomorrow, I promise."

As he turned to leave, Camille's heart fell apart. She had been cast aside and rejected yet again. It was more than she could bear. Her sadness quickly turned into a burning anger, and before she knew what she was doing, before she could stop herself she had grabbed a vase from the table and brought it down hard across his head, knocking him unconscious. She checked over him, a feeling of horror plaguing her mind as she realised what she had done. He was breathing; he was alive, but unconscious. Looking across the room, she saw some rope lying on the floor. She knew what she had to do to make him stay.

Back in his fortress, Dai Shi was taking time to learn to control his newfound abilities. He couldn't believe how quickly he'd gained control over the Chameleon spirit. He could feel her protests, she wanted to leave him and return to her mistress, but she didn't have the strength to break free. Dai Shi couldn't understand the emotions he was feeling. Ever since the Chameleon had become a part of him, he had felt a warm, tight feeling in the pit of his stomach any time he thought about Camille. He was suddenly aware of all the times he had been cruel to her. Every time he had humiliated her, every time he had raised a hand to her. It all came back in vivid detail, plaguing his mind. What was this feeling? Why did it bother him so much? He'd never given a second thought to his treatment of her before, so why was he thinking about it now?

He shook his head and made his way back to his throne. He dismissed the feelings as something to do with his new animal spirit. She wanted to return to Camille, clearly these feelings she was inflicting on him were some form of trick designed to make him give her back. Of course, that was something he wasn't going to do. Her animal spirit was now his. He checked the time, realising that now was as good a time as any to reclaim her. She'd known enough freedom.

Casey came to with a pounding headache. He could remember talking to Camille about the kiss, but shortly after that everything went blank. He struggled on the couch, finding that his hands were tied securely behind his back. He looked around the room, noticing that his jacket was draped over the coffee table. His solar morpher was in the inside pocket, there was no way he could reach it from here. Suddenly, everything started to make a lot more sense as Camille returned to the room. She kissed him softly as she lay down on the couch next to him, wrapping her arms around her.

"Camille, you have to let me go." Casey stated. "You can't kidnap someone and force them to love you."

"But I need you." She breathed softly, resting her head against his chest. "I need you."

"Camille, untie me." He reiterated. "We need to talk about this."

"But if I untie you you'll just leave." She replied sadly. "I can't let you go."

"Camille, let me go." He implored her. "If you untie me, I won't leave until we've talked about this. I promise, now let me go."

Camille looked away, losing herself deep in thought. She wanted Casey to stay, she longed for him to continue to take care of her, but she was sure that after the kiss, and certainly after the kidnapping, there was no way he would stay.

"Camille, do you really think tying me up is going to make me love you?" He asked her. "I can understand why you did it; I won't hold it against you. I know you're not thinking clearly. Just let me go."

Camille thought about this for a while. He was right, she couldn't just keep him there, the other Rangers would come for him sooner or later, and she knew he was right. As much as kidnapping him would stop him leaving, it wouldn't make him hers. With a sigh, she made her way to the table and grabbed a knife, before coming back towards him. Unfortunately she had taken just a little too long. Dai Shi appeared before her in the living room.

"It's time to come home Camille." He stated as he reached a hand forward. She swung the knife in his direction only for him to swat it dismissively from her grasp. "It's where you belong, you know it is."

He turned around, seeing Casey bound and helpless on the couch. Casey renewed his struggle to release himself, but Camille had tied him too securely. "I see you've been expecting me." He quipped with an evil laugh. "You've wrapped me up a little present."

"Stay away from him!" She snapped, throwing herself onto his back, wrapping her arms around his throat. Dai Shi threw her off, dumping her painfully on the floor. A few Rinshi 

warriors appeared in the room, grabbing Casey and hoisting him off the couch. He struggled against them, but a sharp kick in the gut soon stopped him struggling. He hoped that they hadn't popped his stitches, though he was far more concerned with Camille. Dai Shi grabbed her roughly, forcing her to her feet.

"Let her go!" Casey wheezed as he fought for breath. Dai Shi just laughed as they teleported back to the fortress.

"Take him to the dungeon and put him in chains." He ordered, waving off the henchmen. They hauled him away as Dai Shi turned his attention back to Camille.

"Now it's time to decide what to do with you." He commented. He felt that sickening feeling plaguing his stomach again, though much stronger than before. When he looked at Camille, he could feel it wrenching at his gut, almost stopping him in his tracks. The Chameleon could feel her rightful owner was nearby, but she couldn't break free. Camille could feel her too, she wanted nothing more than to reach out and reclaim her, but she had nowhere near enough power to force him to return her. "You can remain as my guest if you wish."

"Return the chameleon." She implored him. "Dai Shi, please, return her to me and I will stay with you, I swear."

"Perhaps I will return her." He suggested with a sneer. "Then again, perhaps I'll just keep her."

Camille sank to her knees and wept as he taunted her. Her beloved chameleon was so close, and yet still beyond her reach. He came over to her, grabbing her by the wrist as he snapped a set of manacles onto her. "You still must face the punishment for daring to defy me." He told her as she struggled against her restraints. "By the time I'm finished, you will never think of leaving me again. By the time I'm finished, the loss of your animal spirit will be the least of your worries."

Casey was sitting in his cell, awaiting whatever fate Dai Shi had in store for him. The cell was not exactly huge, but even this hadn't been enough to satisfy his paranoia. A set of heavy steel manacles were fastened around his wrists and ankles, securing him firmly in place. His attention snapped back to the door as it swung open wide. His heart froze solid as he saw them hauling Camille's battered and bloody carcass into the room, dumping her dismissively on the floor, before securing her restraints to a bracket on the floor. As soon as they had left the room, he made his way over to her side, cradling her limp, broken body in his arms. She was barely breathing, and she was unconscious. He checked her pulse finding it weak. Tears ran down his face as he held her to his chest for warmth. He needed to find a way out of his fortress and he needed to find it soon. For her sake they needed to escape. Seeing the state she was in Casey was pointedly aware that she would not survive his cruelty much longer.


	5. Dai Shi's Next Step

Dai Shi sat in his throne room contemplating his next move. He now had Camille back, and as a bonus he also had the Red Ranger within his grasp. Both of them were now powerless against him, so it would soon be merely a matter of time before the rest of the Rangers fell.

He felt the chameleon spirit pulling against him yet again. "My but you are a persistent one." He commented. "I would have thought you would welcome being with someone who is strong enough to use you to your potential."

He began pacing the room as he pondered the situation. It bothered him how much autonomy the chameleon still had. It had been over a full day since he'd claimed her; surely he should have complete control of her by now. She had barely given him a moment's peace since he'd taken her. He knew it was possible for a person to take on more than one animal spirit, there were many legends about mighty warriors controlling several spirits, but he hadn't had much knowledge of the legends. He didn't know of the practicalities of wielding spirits that didn't belong to him, just that it was possible. The chameleon was generally quiet, only rarely making him aware of it's presence, however it became far more vocal and active when Camille was nearby, especially when she was in pain.

He had beaten her ferociously earlier, much as he had done several times before, but as he continued to hit her, he suddenly became pointedly aware of an uncomfortable tightness in his chest, and arms and shoulders growing stiff. The struggle became harder and harder with every blow, his own body betrayed him. Eventually he had to stop, finding himself unable to continue. Something inside him wouldn't let him harm her any further.

Of course it wasn't truly his body. He hadn't had his own body in thousands of years; he existed from age to age by inhabiting the body of another. The latest was some pathetic fool named Jarred, another Pai Zhuq cub whose power, ambition and ego far exceeded his mental acumen. When he found him in the forest following his release, it had been a simple matter to take control. He had been drawn by the feelings of vengeance that emanated from him as he ran. Inhabiting the young man, he quickly discovered that he had some petty quarrel or other with the Red Ranger. Apparently he blamed him for being expelled from the academy. It had been those feelings of vengeance that had weakened Jarrod's will enough for Dai Shi to enter his body. Once he was in, it was easy to manipulate his mind. Jarrod's petty grudge clouded his mind to reason. He accepted Dai Shi's power into himself to give him the edge over the Red Ranger, but the fool hadn't stopped to consider that the trade off would be control of his mind.

Perhaps all he needed was more power. He had already forced Jarrod and his lion spirit under his control, and while the chameleon was struggling, it surely couldn't be much longer before she got the message and accepted that he was now her master. He remembered how Carnisoar had taken him back through Jarrod's past to erase his good deeds, empowering him further. The sensation came to him again, this time spreading further, pounding not only in his gut and his chest, but also his head. He stroked his temples as the dull ache pounded inside his skull. His thoughts turned to Camille and Casey. For some reason he wasn't feeling the same sense of victory and satisfaction at having them in his grasp. Camille in particular bothered him. He sat back down on his throne feeling his strength sapping from him, his knees weakening at the sensation. What was happening to him?

Reasoning that he needed to strengthen his own energies, he got up, making his way towards the cells, planning on continuing his torment of the prisoners. Thoughts of Camille caused the sensation to return, this time more savagely than before. It was no longer merely unpleasant, it was pain! Actual, unrelenting, crippling pain! He fell to his knees, clutching his skull as though attempting to hold it together as the pain threatened to tear it in half.

'The Red Ranger!' He thought quickly. 'Forget Camille, I'll torture the Red Ranger!'

This train of thought alleviated the pain and nausea a little, though it still staggered him. His thoughts turned to avenging his humiliation at the hands of the Red Ranger, making him suffer for...

"No!" A voice screamed in his mind, causing Dai Shi to stop in his tracks. "He's helpless. I want my revenge, but there is no satisfaction in eliminating a helpless enemy."

Dai Shi was stunned into inaction by the voice. More than it's protest at his intended actions, more than it's assertion, what stunned him was that he recognised the voice. It was Jarrod.

"I control you!" He roared, hauling himself to his feet. "How can you be talking to me?"

He got no answer. Whatever temporary measure of control Jarrod had managed to inflict on him, it was passing now.

"If you will not allow me to harm the Red Ranger, then perhaps I will get the power I need from elsewhere." He commented, before concentrating and activating the power he stole from the chameleon spirit, taking on the form of RJ. "After all, I still have business with the Yellow Ranger that is yet to be settled."

The dinner rush was almost over when RJ was getting ready to do his supply run. Theo was loading the dishwasher as RJ was making his way through the kitchen. Bringing through another load, Fran saw her opportunity and twirled up a service cloth rat-tailing him with an expert precision. Theo snapped upright at the blow.

"Gotcha!" She yelped excitedly, holding the offending cloth in her hand. "I told you I'd get my own back; I am the undisputed queen of the rat-tail!"

"Jeez, that hurt!" He moaned with a cute little pout. "I didn't get you nearly as hard."

"Well calm it down before you wreck the place." RJ told them, collecting his car keys. "Lily's just out front, call her if you need anything."

"Where's Casey?" Theo moaned. "I thought he was only taking Camille home?"

"She was pretty shaken up by the whole thing; he's probably just spending some time keeping her calm." He suggested with a shrug. "Anyway, there shouldn't be anything you guys can't handle. I'm going to the market; I'll be back in a little while."

Theo watched RJ leaving, before rinsing through a sponge, holding it up menacingly and approaching his girlfriend with an evil grin on his face.

"Oh don't you even dare!" Fran shrieked, sensing his intentions.

"You started it!" He warned her. "Run."

RJ approached Lily from behind as she leaned across a table, wiping it. Noticing that the last of the customers had left, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. She reached an arm back over her shoulder, leaning back and kissing him softly.

"I'm just going out to the market." He told her. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Do you have to go?" She asked. "With everything that's happening with Camille and everything, I get the feeling Dai Shi's going to try something soon."

"You know it's bad enough you're den mother to the guys," he joked in a soft voice, holding her warmly, "I don't need you to be mine too."

"I thought you'd appreciate me worrying about you." She grumbled, throwing down a cloth. "Besides, I'm just getting a little nervous about us splitting up. It's bad enough Casey's still not come back."

"I'll tell you what, I'll be really quick," he began, kissing her neck, "and then I promise I'll make it up to you."

Lily smiled as he said this. She was still concerned about how quiet Dai Shi had been since he'd last attacked Camille, but she found it impossible to resist. The thought of spending a little time with him alone was too good to resist. She loved her friends dearly, but all of them living together under one roof kind of made private time a non-existent commodity at JKP. "You promise?"

"I'll be back soon." He told her. He left the restaurant, getting into the van with an energetic skip in his step. He couldn't wait until he could get back to her. His mind was so far from the streets that he didn't even notice that someone who looked just like him was making his way back into the restaurant. Lily looked up a little surprised as RJ came back into the restaurant.

"I thought you were going to the market." She stated.

Dai Shi could remember seeing the Wolf Master leaving in his vehicle just before he arrived, realising that he would be gone for a little while. "I can go tomorrow." He told her. "I thought it would be more fun to spend time with you."

Lily smiled and took off her apron. "Just let me get changed and tell the others where we're going." She told him.

"There's no need for that." He chuckled, seeing Fran bursting from the kitchen; before Theo grabbed her from behind, wrestling her playfully back into the kitchen as he continued to torment her with the damp sponge. "I'm sure they'll not even notice we've gone."

"I'd still like to get changed." She replied. "I've been working in this all day, I feel gross."

"Well you look beautiful." He complimented her, moving closer. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him. She flashed a bright smile at him as she returned the gesture.

"You lie divinely." She told him, pulling towards him to kiss him. She suddenly stopped and pulled away a little as his fingers slipped beneath her t-shirt, grazing her soft flesh.

"What is it?" He asked her.

"RJ, you know about my history with relationships." She remarked, blushing a little. "I'm sorry; I just want things to move a little more slowly. You understand right?"

She could see a look of disappointment crossing his face. She knew he had been in at least one relationship before, and so was a little more experienced than her. She hated to disappoint him. She knew he loved her and she knew he would never do anything to deliberately hurt her, but she just wasn't ready to take that step. Dai Shi looked into her eyes, realising that he was close to blowing his cover. He smiled at her.

"We'll move as fast or as slow as you're comfortable to do so." He told her, taking care to ensure his hands were over her shirt as he took her back in his arms. "Is a kiss out of the question?"

"Not at all." She replied with a grin. She was happy that he accepted her decision. As she pulled in towards him, he tightened his grip, preparing to transport her back to the fortress. Before he could manage it though, a sharp pain coursed through his head. He shoved her away involuntarily as he struggled against the pain. Hearing the commotion, Theo and Fran came through from the kitchen to find him staggering around clutching his head as though it was on fire.

"I thought he left already." Theo stated.

"Guys, I think he's really sick." Lily yelled, attempting to move towards him. RJ held a hand up to stop her. She recoiled in horror as he morphed back into Dai Shi.

"Stay away!" He called out. Theo and Lily stood stunned as they realised it was not his voice.

"Jarrod?" Theo asked nervously.

"We won't be able to hold him for long." Jarrod told them. "He has captured Casey and Camille and is holding them at his fortress. You must save them."

"How can we trust you?" Lily asked.

"Trust in my desire to be reunited with my mistress." He said in a feminine voice. Somehow the chameleon spirit was now briefly in control. "And my desire to regain my freedom." Jarrod's voice continued. "Only you Rangers can free all of us from his grasp. Help us!"

With that, Dai Shi struggled to regain control of his body, but the choice was taken out of his hands as he was teleported against his will back to the fortress. Carnisoar and Jellica rushed to his aid.

"What is happening to me?" He screamed.

"You are losing control because of your own weakness." Jellica stated. "We will help you regain control."

"But I cannot act against the Rangers while they vex me so." He snarled, finally gaining some respite from his torment. "How will I strengthen myself?"

"They say that all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Carnisoar commented, snapping his fingers and calling forth some Rinshi warriors. "You do not need to directly harm them." He turned to the Rinshi warriors. "Bring the Red Ranger into the throne room. By the time we've finished, the other spirits within you will not hold so much sway over you."

Dai Shi struggled with the maelstrom of protesting spirits within him as they brought Casey into the centre of the throne room, securing him in the centre of the room with strong shackles. He struggled against the restraints in a futile manner, being forced to remain upright as he awaited the inevitable beating. He was only thankful that they had left Camille in the cell and weren't bringing her back out for more punishment. He glared hatefully at Dai Shi as the t-shirt was torn from his body.

"You knew it was only a matter of time before we treated you to the same hospitality as Camille." Carnisoar sneered as some Rinshi warriors surrounded Casey. "You don't need to worry; the more refined torture will begin shortly. However, in the meantime, I'll let the underlings soften you up."

"Don't expect me to be scared." Casey hissed defiantly. He looked to the first of the Rinshi. "Do your worst."

Dai Shi watched Casey take the first of the blows, heroically refusing to back down. He clenched his fists as he continued to watch. It was easier to stand by and watch him being punished than it was to act himself, but the spirits still nagged at him relentlessly.

RJ came back, finding the others waiting for him. The atmosphere in the room let him know that something had happened in his absence.

"Dai Shi was here." Lily informed him, taking his hand softly. "He disguised himself as you; I think he was after me for some reason."

"Did he hurt you?" He asked, quickly checking over the woman he cared about so deeply. "If he's hurt you I swear..."

"I'm fine RJ." She told him. "Something really weird happened. He was..." Her voice tailed off as she thought about it. She knew there was no way she could have known it was Dai Shi, but she still felt guilty about almost letting him kiss her. She didn't want to admit to him that had happened. "He was about to take me somewhere, then he just...stopped."

"It looked like he was in pain." Fran explained, recalling the incident. "He started staggering about the place, and then he started talking in all these different voices before he just disappeared."

Theo handed RJ the red solar morpher. "He said that Casey and Camille had been captured, so we went to the manor house. It was empty when we got there except for this."

"So it looks like he did take them." RJ surmised. "Where's Flit?"

"He's upstairs." Theo replied. "We're trying to convince him to take us there, but he told us that it was Camille who had the ability to teleport."

"Then we'll have to find another way." He sighed. He looked over to where Lily was sitting in a booth, staring off into space, lost in thought. "What's on your mind Lily?"

"He spoke in more than one voice." She replied thoughtfully. "One of them was female, and one of them was Jarrod. It might be a trick, it might not be important..."

"Camille always referred to her animal spirit as 'her'." RJ recalled. He rushed upstairs, finding an ancient scroll and brought it back to the restaurant, spreading it across the table. "I think the answer's in here."

"What do you mean?" Theo asked. "What's happening?"

"It's an ancient legend that warns against taking the animal spirits of others." He began, showing them the writings.

"What does it say?" Lily asked.

"According to the legend, once two masters fell in love with the same woman. In order to settle the dispute, they had a duel." He carried on to the next part of the legend. "When a person dies, unless they pass on their animal spirit, they take their animal spirit with them. The tragedy in this case was that the two masters were also best friends. Before he died, the loser passed his animal spirit to his friend."

"What happened next?" Fran asked.

"The two animal spirits were able to reside within him without incident, but his power grew considerably as a result of having both spirits. It is said that he became so obsessed with power that he lost all reason." He looked at his students as he carried on the next part. "One night, he murdered his lover to take her spirit too."

"But that doesn't explain..."

"He began hunting down masters to claim their spirits." RJ interrupted, continuing the tragic tale. "But it is said with each spirit, his control and his sanity slipped a little further. You see, an animal spirit is not just a passive being. It is a creature in it's own right, with it's own desires and needs and thoughts. It chooses it's bearer wisely so that they can live in harmony, but it still communicates with it's bearer."

"That's why Camille was so upset about losing her chameleon." Theo concluded. RJ nodded. "The problem is that with each animal spirit, the bearer's will is splintered still further, making it harder to maintain control. Eventually the spirits each begin vying for control to satisfy their own wishes."

"The animal spirits try to take over?" Lily asked. "Why did no one warn us?"

"It isn't a problem with your own animal spirit. You are two halves of one whole." He explained. "The problem comes when a person claims spirits which do not belong to them. Because it isn't a part of them, it doesn't live in harmony with them."

"So how does this affect Dai Shi?" Theo asked.

"I think he's been too greedy and taken more spirits than he can handle." RJ said sadly as he imparted on them his theory as to what was happening. "I think it's getting a little too crowded in his head. He's trying to control three spirits."

"But he only had the lion and the chameleon." Lily interjected.

"I think he lied when he said that Jarrod is gone." He told them. "I think Jarrod still exists inside him. Taking Camille's animal spirit has just weakened him enough that Jarrod and the chameleon can break through on occasion. They just need to be passionate enough about a situation to use raw emotion to force through his control."

"The chameleon broke through when she told us Camille was in danger and asked us to save her." Theo recalled in a moment of clarity.

"Jarrod came through when Dai Shi tried to kidnap me." Lily stated. "I knew Jarrod had a huge crush on me back at the temple, but I never returned his feelings. I saw the way he treated the younger students and I couldn't feel anything for him."

"I think his feelings for you were a little stronger than he cared to admit." RJ told her. "I think you gave him the strength to break free."

Back in the fortress, Casey hung a little limply at the end of the chains holding him up. Carnisoar was about to step forward when Dai Shi stopped him. "Bring Camille here." He commanded. "Clearly his own pain doesn't affect him. Perhaps seeing her suffer will cause the desired pain."

Casey tried to protest, but he was hardly in any state to move, much less fight. Camille was brought before Dai Shi, and handed to him. He held Camille before him.

"This cub never could take orders from someone from a higher level." He commented. He spun her round to face Casey, holding a hand across her chest. "I believe standing up for weaker cubs is your thing, isn't it towel-boy."

Casey was a bit puzzled by this remark. Why was he talking about the first time they had fought? Why was he bringing up that confrontation in the temple, now of all times?

"I bet you want your chameleon back." He sneered to Camille, before turning his attention back to Casey. "How about we hear that roar towel-boy? Don't spare the tiger."

Casey summoned up every ounce of anger within him, roaring loudly and unleashing his tiger spirit. Dai Shi cast Camille to the floor, taking the full force of the attack in his chest, blasting him to the floor, and knocking the chameleon free of his body. Seizing the opportunity, she returned to her rightful owner.

"Camille, take Casey and go!" Jarrod barked from the floor through blood-stained teeth.

"What the hell's going on?" Casey yelled. Camille used what little strength she had left to throw herself over to Casey, grabbing him.

"Help me!" Jarrod implored them as he finally lost control back to Dai Shi. Camille teleported with the Red Ranger back to Jungle Karma, collapsing on the floor before the confused Rangers.

"What happened?" Lily asked as they rushed to their friend's aid.

"Jarrod freed my chameleon spirit so we could escape." She told them. "He saved us."

"Then it's true." Lily breathed. "Jarrod does still exist."

"Well if that's the case, then we can't just destroy Dai Shi, somehow we have to free Jarrod." Casey told them, pulling himself painfully onto a chair beside Camille, holding her closely. "We owe him that much."

Casey cradled her closely, happy that she was now safe from harm. Camille returned his embrace, happy and contented at finally being reunited with her beloved chameleon. The Red Ranger had released her animal spirit from his grasp, and she had come back to her. The others left the room to discuss what to do next. Casey pulled away from her a little, looking into her eyes. For the first time since he could remember, there was hope and joy in her eyes. He felt an irresistible force drawing him in to a long, passionate kiss with her. Camille melted into him as he held her tenderly. He had rescued her, he had cared for her and he had protected her. As they parted, she looked into his eyes, realising that he couldn't be faking the emotion in his kiss and in his gaze. She smiled at him.

"I thought you said you didn't love me." She remarked.

Casey thought about the unusual new feelings within him. He hadn't wanted to take advantage of her, but it never occurred to him for one minute that he had fallen for her. "I guess I lied." He answered. "I won't let him hurt you again, I promise."

Pulling him into a tight embrace, she felt a wave of happiness wash over her. So far he had kept every promise he'd ever made her. He'd taken care of her, he'd gotten her away from Dai Shi and he'd stayed with her. "I believe you." She whispered.


	6. The Next Big Shock

**It had been a month since Casey and Camille had escaped from Dai Shi's clutches, and things were slowly but surely becoming better for everyone at Jungle Karma. Everyone was more at ease with Camille's presence in the restaurant, and she was actually becoming quite a productive worker. RJ was thrilled to have another pair of hands at his disposal, especially since he didn't have to pay her, meaning that organising the rota to allow the respective couples a fair amount of time to themselves was far easier. He could spend a couple of nights a week with Lily without Fran and Theo moaning about unfair treatment, and that suited him just fine. Casey had taken Camille under his wing, and the two had grown closer over the weeks. **

**There had been a few shock reactions when Casey told them how close he'd become with Camille, but he'd kind of expected that. It hadn't been that long ago she was trying to destroy them, and had succeeded in sending Casey to the Emergency Room by stabbing him. It took them a while, but everyone had eventually come to accept his decision despite their original reservations. Fran and Lily had eased up on her quite considerably, no longer treating her as a pariah, while Theo and RJ learned to accept her as a co-worker, appreciating the effort she put into her shifts, and the fact that her working there made it easier for them to have time to themselves with their respective girlfriends. All they had to worry about now was the girls exchanging gossip about them in the usual "girl-talk" moments. RJ took great care to ensure two of the girls were alone on shift as little as possible for this exact reason. **

**She woke up in the old manor house, being roused by the smell of cooking. Pulling on a robe and heading to the kitchen she found Casey making her a meal on the range. She leaned against the door frame and chapped the door gently, causing him to turn around.**

"**I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you." He told her, looking at her, but glancing away to not seem like he wanted to see her in her robe. "I got here a bit early and found you still asleep, so I thought I'd make you breakfast."**

**Camille smiled at him a little and made her way over, kissing him softly. "What did an old girl like me do to deserve you?" She asked him. "You're making my breakfast, that's so sweet."**

"**You can't help who you fall for." He commented. "I guess I kind of like the idea of being a toy boy." He inspected her thoughtfully for a second. "Are you feeling alright?"**

"**I'm fine." She asked him, wrinkling her nose in confusion as she tried to think what he was talking about. "Why?"**

"**You look a bit pale." He replied, feeing her forehead. "You don't feel warm."**

"**I told you I'm fine." She replied, chuckling gently. She made her way over to him, tightening her robe around her abdomen a little. "It's sweet you worry so much, but I'm normally quite pale skinned. Besides, I don't need you mothering me; I'm old enough to look after myself."**

"**You would tell me if anything was wrong wouldn't you?" He asked her.**

**Camile rolled her eyes, before placing another soft kiss on his lips and wrapping her arms around him. "I promise if I'm ill I'll tell you. Besides, I need to get dressed. You're burning the bacon by the way."**

**Casey rushed back to the stove as Camille made her way upstairs. Flit burst out of her mouth forcefully.**

"**You still haven't told them have you?" He asked incredulously as he hovered before her. **

"**It's taken me this long to gain their trust." She whispered, pulling close to the fly. "I still am not trusted to live under their roof. Knowing is not going to make things any better."**

"**Don't you think they have a right to know?" He quizzed her. "It does affect them, even if they don't live with you. Besides, it's not as if you can keep it..."**

**He was cut short as Camille wrapped her tongue around him, forcing him back inside. She steadied herself on the staircase, before continuing upstairs to her room to get changed. Her mind and her heart had been battered more mercilessly than her body, especially over the last few weeks. It took everything she had to get herself out of bed in the morning at one point, but there was one redeeming factor.**

**Beginning to pull on the new Jungle Karma uniform she'd been given, her mind drifted back to everything Casey had done for her. She was grateful beyond anything she could ever repay. Casey had been such a rare thing to her; he had been a stable male figure in her life. When she was born, men didn't have much to do with child rearing, especially of girls, so she didn't really have much of a benchmark to measure against. She had first enrolled at Pai Zhuq, though quickly learned that even although they accepted women, they were always second-class students. Master Ursa had made especially sure she knew that much.**

**When she had first enrolled, she was assigned to Master Ursa as a student, though he had made his disapproval obvious. He had in fact spent a good hour locked in a screaming match with the temple master in protest, in full view of Camille and his other students. If she'd ever felt like she didn't belong or she wasn't loved, respected before, now she knew she wasn't. Ursa had eventually, begrudgingly accepted her into his classes because he didn't have a choice in the matter. Of course, by that time all of his students knew she was open-season for abuse as far as Ursa was concerned. In fact, it was him that led the abuse. She had to study and work ten times as hard to be a tenth as good as the others, and a thousandth as respected. She'd spent years watching all of Ursa's boys being advised, progressed and advanced while she was little more than his crash-test dummy for demonstrations, and was regularly demeaned in front of lesser students as an example of his contempt for modern practices. **

**Dai Shi had been a breath of fresh air at that point. He'd shown her kindness, tenderness, respect. He made her feel good about being born a woman. He was the first, the only man she'd ever given herself to. He'd seen so much in her that he'd taken her into his care, nurtured and protected her. She'd felt like an empress the day that a few of Ursa's students had cornered her and seen fit to taunt her and push her around. One of them even cast aspersions as to why she remained in the temple despite being an inferior student, but her lord **

**had heard enough. Within minutes all three of them were laying on the ground staring up at him, and the ring leader was being forced to apologise to her at Dai Shi's hands. She didn't care though; the pain and the insults had melted away. All that mattered was that there was one man in the world who cared enough to stand up for her. That was why it was impossible for her to think badly of him the first time she'd felt his hand strike her in anger. How could it be his fault? He was the one man in the world that saw her as anything other than a worthless, pathetic girl. Obviously she had done something to make him doubt his judgement of her. Perhaps she was nothing; maybe Ursa, the other male students and her father were right. Maybe she didn't deserve him. **

**She began to cry a little as she remembered how things had soured between them. He had been so sweet and attentive. He had stood up for her more than once, he took care of her, and he gave her somewhere to go when she had been banished by the temple. However, things started to change. The sweetness was gone, and the heartfelt greetings she received every morning became mere passing pleasantries. His kisses and his touch were now less frequent and had a distance about them that left her feeling disappointed. The first time he'd raised his hand to her it was a confusing experience. She felt the sharp, physical pain of course, she'd even felt a certain amount of heartache to think that the man she loved could attack her so. But she also felt a certain sense of closeness to him. He cared enough to touch her. It wasn't a pleasant touch, but a touch nonetheless. He loved her so much that any time she disappointed him, it frustrated him, angered him so much that he HAD to show her she wasn't living up to her potential. **

**Of course those days were gone. The Great War had lead to him focussing so much on his enemies that the closeness just faded. She was always second-best to his efforts to defeat the masters. That day in his bedchamber had been a little piece of heaven, a day...**

**No! How could she think about that, about HIM at this time? He had abandoned her. Cast her aside. He had betrayed humiliated and crushed her for years, so how could she still have any good memories about him. She made her way into the bathroom, vomiting into the sink in a sudden, unexpected explosion. She had been aware her stomach wasn't very steady recently, but she hadn't felt that bad in a couple of days. Her mind drifted back to Casey. He had been everything Dai Shi had and more. He had stood up for her, cared for her and provided for her at a time when no-one else would. She recalled with fondness the day she brought him back to Jungle Karma. Her strength gone, her body aching, he had taken her in his arms and held her to his body warmly, despite his own pain. He soothed her with his words, and with his kiss, he gave her back everything Dai Shi had taken from her. She felt like she deserved to be cared for. She deserved to be loved. He hadn't, and wouldn't ever raise a hand to her. He hadn't done anything to hurt her, and he made her feel amazing, like she was owed so much, and was finally being repaid. Of course it was for exactly for that reason she couldn't say anything. He'd abandon her in a second. He'd turn his back and she'd once again be as she always was, alone. She was brought back into reality as a pair of arms wrapped around her, and a plate of slightly-burned bacon, eggs and sausaged was presented to her.**

"**I'm sorry; RJ's the cook in the flat." Casey said apologetically as she took the plate.**

"**Are you not having anything?" She asked him through her first mouthful. **

"**I've already eaten." He told her, sitting on the bed beside her. "Camille, this can't go on."**

**She froze in horror at what he'd said. Did he know? If so, how? Was she really about to lose him?**

"**This place isn't falling apart, but it isn't really right that you live here." He continued. "I'm going to ask the others if it's alright if you move in."**

**She gulped down her mouthful as she heard this. "They don't trust me!" She shrieked. **

"**They didn't." Casey explained, taking her hand softly in his own. That one gesture sent a comforting warm feeling through her body. He genuinely still wanted her in his life. "We've all gotten a bit more used to you being around, and you could still be a target for Dai Shi. I'm going to ask if you can move in, and I think you should be there when I do."**

**She squeezed his hand gently, a few tears coming to her eyes as she looked into his. "I'd love that." She replied tearfully. "I love you!"**

**Casey kissed her passionately, noting her response. "No matter what they say, I'm with you." He stated with a warm grin. "We'll tell them today. Finish getting ready, I'll meet you downstairs."**

**As he left, she folded her arms around herself again and stared longingly at the door. He was with her, and because of that, she could face the rest of her life. Flit burst out yet again.**

"**Don't you think HE has a right to know if nothing else?" He asked her. **

**Again she forced him back inside with her tongue before wolfing down the rest of her breakfast. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. She had to keep him, she HAD to.**

**Arriving in Jungle Karma as RJ was running through the daily brief, they sat close to the front, hand-in-hand as he finished. **

"**I'm glad you could make it." He said slightly sarcastically. **

"**I'm sorry RJ, we were discussing something important." He replied, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Something we need to discuss with all of you."**

**RJ looked around the others cautiously. He kind of expected what was coming, but he was trying to gauge how the others would react if it was what he suspected that Casey was going to ask. "Go ahead." He implored him.**

"**It isn't right that Camille has to live in that old shack." He began, standing up opposite RJ, pulling himself to full height. "She'd proven herself, she isn't a threat to us, but she is a target for Dai Shi. I think she should move in."**

**The others were about to speak before RJ held a hand up to stop them. "This will need discussion, you understand that don't you?"**

"**I do." Casey replied. **

"**Fran, you spend so much time here you basically live here, but you actually don't. Will you handle the shift with Casey and Camille?"**

"**I will." She groaned, a little disappointed as she was hoping to go out with Theo that night. **

"**Don't you think we should be in on these discussions?" Casey asked, a little too aggressively. RJ turned back to him, drawing himself up to full height, rising above Casey. He backed up a little way, never shifting his gaze from his master.**

"**No, I don't." He answered bluntly. "If she stays, it affects us more than you, we need to make the decision. Go!"**

**Casey stormed from the room, slamming the door as he left. RJ surveyed the others.**

"**We have a lot to talk about. Maybe we should do so in private." He commented. The others stared at him blankly for a moment. "Now!" He snapped a little too aggressively, gesturing to the stairs. Watching them head up the stairs, Casey felt a strength in him he'd never felt before. They were deciding her fate, and there was no way the result was going to matter to him. One way or another, she would be safe.**

**Meanwhile, Fran and Camille were dealing with the lunchtime crowd. Camille had already mixed up a couple of checks, but Fran was quickly becoming concerned for her welfare as she continued to work. She was indeed quite pale, especially so for her. She regularly needed bathroom breaks, and she didn't seem quite as though she was all there. Fran collected a large order for a big table and got a thought for a test.**

"**Camille." She called out, observing her actions. Camille turned and came to the counter dutifully. "I'm swamped, take this to table 13."**

**She began making she way over under Fran's watchful eye, her arms quivering under the strain of a few plates. Fran stepped in and caught them before Camille's strength failed completely. "What's up?" She asked. "I know you're not alright."**

"**I just feel a little ill." Camille told her, steadying herself against a table. "I'll get over it. Please, don't say anything."**

"**No-one can blame you for being ill." Fran said reassuringly, stroking her back. "It happens to everyone. Besides, I'm sure Casey will make you feel better."**

**Camille's cheeks turned red as Fran mentioned this. Casey had been wonderful to her. He had done everything for her, she couldn't fail him! She straightened up as much as she could.**

"**He makes me feel good about myself." She confessed, thinking about him. "He will make me feel better."**

**Suddenly a few loud bleeps heralded the departure of the three Rangers, leaving Fran alone with her ill workmate. At least they weren't leaving her by herself any more, even if they were leaving her with Camille, who seemed to be weak and ill at present. **

"**He'll be fine." Fran stated, noticing Camille watching him go. "He always comes back."**

"**I've heard that before." She sighed, slumping onto a seat in the corner. "During the beast war, I heard so many of my friends say that. They never came back."**

"**Casey is different." Fran told her warmly. "If he says he'll come back, he will."**

**Camille, not convinced, shoved Fran away, rushing after the Rangers. Fran watched them all go, worried about her boyfriend, but more so about her. A moment ago she was barely capable of standing, yet now she was charging off into battle after the others.**

**The Rangers appeared in a back alley, staring down Dai Shi. They knew it had to be him; he no longer had a servant who commanded the chameleon spirit. They squared off against him, prepared for battle.**

"**You have taken her from me Red Ranger!" He announced accusingly, drawing himself to full height before him. "Face me one-on-one. That's all I ask."**

"**If you insist, that's what I'll do!" He roared, feeling his anger rise in him. "Jungle beast, Spirit unleashed!"**

**He circled Dai Shi in his Ranger form, preparing for his attack.**

"**The time has come for us Red Ranger!" Dai Shi snarled as he cast aside his cloak, morphing into his armoured form. "Order the others aside!"**

**He waved off Lily and Theo, the rage in him burning up his logic as he confronted the man who had tormented the woman he'd grown to love. He wanted nothing more than to clamp his hands around Dai Shi's throat and squeeze the life from him, to watch the light of life disappear from his eyes.**

"**Jarrod's in there." Lily reminded him. "You can't destroy him."**

"**Watch me!" He snapped in response, surging towards him. He powered up into Jungle Master Mode, preparing to stroke with his Claw Booster, before his hand was dashed aside by Camille diving to stop him.**

"**Please don't do this!" She shrieked, positioning herself between them. "Please don't..."**

**Dai Shi cast her aside, before punching Casey to the floor. Camille pulled herself to her feet as she struggled against her swirling emotions for the man she loved and the man she had loved. Dai Shi rounded on Casey.**

"**I call on the spirit of the mighty lion!" He roared, casting forth the spirit. Camille Threw herself in it's path, though the spirit stopped in it's tracks. The Lion circled her thoughtfully **

**for a while, before turning back to Dai Shi. It sank on it's paws, preparing to strike and growled in warning.**

"**You are MY animal spirit!" Dai Shi spat, unable to stomach it's betrayal. "Destroy them!"**

**The lion roared and reared itself into attacking position, making it's intentions clear. There was no way it was letting him touch her. Dai Shi called it back before disappearing. De-morphing, the other Rangers crowded around her, totally confused.**

**Dai Shi arrived back in his throne room, stumbling onto his throne.**

"**You left..."**

"**Get out!" He interrupted Carnisoar, well aware he was risking major reprecutions, though not caring. "I feel...not myself. Get out!"**

**Carnisoar and Jellica looked at each other in dismay. What had happened? What had given him the courage to stand up to them so? It certainly wasn't her, all she could do was console him when the overlords had once again handed him his ass. But Camille was gone. She no longer had any pull over him.**

"**Why did you not destroy him?" Jellica quizzed him. Dai Shi raised his head from his hands, tears soaking his cheeks. His confidence and his authority never slipping. He rose from his throne. "She was in my way." He explained.**

"**She means nothing to you." Carnisoar hissed in contempt. "She..."**

**Dai Shi seized hi by the throat, and drove him to his knees.**

"**She IS important." He growled, forcing him down further. "She is ALL that's important."**

**Casting the overlord aside, Carnisoar and Jellica looked at each other thoughtfully. How could he have gained so much power? How could he best either of them? **

**Camille was being examined by RJ as the team de-briefed themselves.**

"**The Lion didn't attack." Casey shouted with excitement. "He can't control it, we've won!"**

"**We haven't won." RJ said dismissively, holding Lily for support. "There's only one reason an animal spirit would act like that, isn't there Camille?"**

**Camille sank tearfully into a booth, cradling her abdomen. She wept loudly as she realised that she couldn't keep it to herself any longer.**

"**The night I went back to him I made love to him." She admitted through her sobs. She reached out to Casey, taking his hand, though seeing the hurt in his face. It would only get worse, but she knew he already knew. "I'm carrying his child."**


	7. Casey's Difficult Choice

Casey was still sitting, stunned into silence by Camille's revelation almost half an hour later. He couldn't disguise how badly it had hurt him to hear that she was pregnant with another man's baby. Worse still, it had not been long ago since she had been with him. She had made love to Dai Shi only a few weeks previously. A few warm tears rolled down her face as she waited for him to say something, ANYTHING to her. His silence hurt her almost as much as if he was screaming at her. At least if he started screaming, she'd know what was going on in his head.

"Casey, please say something." She implored him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He swept it off briskly, turning from her. She pulled away, hurt by his reaction. She had been scared to lose him ever since she'd found out about the child. She knew it would be hard for him to accept.

"How long have you known about the baby?" He eventually managed to ask her. Camille stared down into her chest and breathed a heavy sigh.

"I've known since I got my Chameleon back." She confessed softly. Casey looked at her in shock. "She felt the child's presence when she returned to me."

"That was a month ago!" He snapped a little incredulously, getting up. "Didn't you think that I...we had a right to know?"

"I was scared I'd lose you." She replied. "I know this hurts, but please..."

Casey cut her off, before getting up and left the room without another word, leaving Camille feeling crushed by his dismissal. He had been there for her when she needed him the most, and she had grown to care for him a great deal. It devastated her to think that she could lose him now. She held her abdomen in her hands, cradling the new life. She couldn't even think about getting rid of it. It wasn't the child's fault, but it's very existence threatened to drive a wedge between her and Casey forever.

Casey made his way outside, staring into the night sky. He was only 19. He hadn't given much thought to having children. Sure, he kind of thought he'd like to have kids one day, but he hadn't thought about it in any serious way. He sure as hell wasn't expecting to be raising kids when he was still so young, and he certainly wasn't planning on raising someone else's kid at his age.

He knew that it wasn't Camille's fault. She hadn't gotten together with him then, she was still in love with Dai Shi, but as much as he could reason it out, it didn't stop it hurting every time he thought about her being with him. He knew she'd been with him for millennia. It would have been naive to the point of gullibility to believe they hadn't made love to him in all those years, but the mental images of Dai Shi sleeping with her burned in his mind and caused a deep pain in his chest. He could feel every touch, every kiss as though it was a blow straight to his heart. RJ arrived behind him as he thought about the night's events.

"Don't you think Camille deserves to know what you plan to do?" He asked. Casey shrugged and shook his head dejectedly.

"I don't even know what I'm going to do." He responded honestly. He wiped his eyes, drying the few tears that were building up in him as he thought about it. "I don't know if I'm ready to have kids."

"I really doubt anyone's ever ready to have children." He told his young student, sitting down next to him and putting an arm around him. "I suppose it's all down to how you feel about her."

"RJ, I care about her, you know I do." He sighed, looking away. "But she's having a baby, Dai Shi's..."

"Jarrod's." RJ corrected him. "Although she made love to Dai Shi, he doesn't have a physical body. The body she slept with was Jarrod's, the baby is his."

"That doesn't really help." Casey replied. "The point is that she's having another man's kid."

"Yes she is." RJ stated. "She hasn't indicated that she wants to get rid of the baby."

"What does that mean for me?" Casey asked. "Am I just meant to raise another guy's baby?"

"You are young, and it isn't your baby. No one would blame you if you decided you couldn't deal with it." RJ told him, turning to leave him to his thoughts. "The thing is, If Camille has decided to have the baby, then like it or not, her child's part of the deal. It will always come first. The baby will be her main concern. It's really up to you if you think you can stick around."

"Do you think I should stay?" Casey asked him as he started back into the restaurant. RJ stopped in his tracks as Casey called out to him.

"It really isn't up to me." RJ answered him. "You're the only one who can decide. Just remember, that the baby is going to be part of Camille's life. If you decide you can't deal with the kid, then you have to let her go."

"You really aren't that helpful, do you know that?" He asked him.

"There's a difference between being helpful and making the decision for you." He answered. "Just remember that if you do decide to stay, then the baby's going to be a part of the picture for life."

Casey sat on a short wall at the edge of the parking lot and continued to stare into space. He loved Camille; he truly did, but was that really going to be enough? Could he really get over the feeling of betrayal that he felt and look after Jarrod's baby?

Dai Shi sat in his bedchamber, having left the overlords to think. The Lion spirit had kept this information from him, but it's actions in defying him during the last attack had made it impossible not to figure out what was going on. With only Jarrod and his lion spirit inside him now, he was in full control. It was as though the lion was HIS animal spirit. There was only one thing that could make it refuse his commands. There was only one thing that could give it the strength to block itself and it's thoughts from him, parental instinct.

He'd been at war with the Pai Zhuq for so long he was well versed in the nature of the animal spirits. The only thing that would make a person's animal spirit disobey them was if it's offspring was in danger. An animal spirit could not be forced to harm it's offspring, it's parental instinct was inherently stronger than it's will to obey it's master. The lion's actions weakened it enough to make it's thoughts open to him when he called it back following the attack and confirmed what he already knew. Camille was pregnant, and the child was his.

He felt a slight tug at his heart as he thought about this. Jarrod still bothered him from time to time since his disastrous attempt to bring the chameleon spirit under his control. He had been weakened by the whole experience, though still on the whole retained control of Jarrod and the lion. Despite this, however, he could still feel Jarrod struggling against him. He was regaining strength by the day, and it would not be long before he would once again have Jarrod under his complete control. However, he still slipped through in moments of high emotion, and this was one such moment.

"It may have been your body, but it was ME she wanted." He snarled, clutching his chest. "Do not fool yourself, the child is mine."

He paced the room as he contemplated the situation. He hadn't considered the possibilities before now, but it intrigued him to think of the potential power this would give him over the Rangers. His child would indeed be powerful, perhaps he would even be the pivotal figure in this renewed beast war he was waging against the Pai Zhuq. The child could be used to convince Camille to return to him for good, unable to leave him again. More importantly, he had become aware of how deeply the Red Ranger cared for Camille. The child's existence would likely have hurt him deeply. He could now capitalise on that and take the heart from him.

He made his way into Camille's bedchamber, observing her possessions lying in the room, completely undisturbed from when she had last been here; serving as a shrine to the woman he'd lost. Waving a hand in the direction of an empty corner of the room, an ornate oak crib appeared. Dai Shi made his way over, looking inside at the empty cot, lined by deep red blankets and imagined seeing his child in there. He imagined what it would be like to see his baby lying in the crib, a single warm tear rolling down his cheek. He would have a child, an heir to carry on his legacy. Soon Camille would return to him, and bring with her his heir.

Casey was sleepwalking through his shift, drifting around the restaurant floor barely able to take anything in. He made his way over to a table, placing a check down for them.

"Excuse me, but we haven't ordered yet." The man stated. He was about RJ's height, with short spiky black hair. He tended to one of the two children. Casey picked up the check, looking at the table number and realising his mistake.

"Sorry, I'll just deal with this and I'll be back to take your order." He mumbled, taking the check and leaving the table.

"He seems to be a bit distracted Tommy." His wife stated, leaning in towards him.

"He'll be back, Kira." Tommy replied, leaning over to his daughter. "Have you decided what you'd like Emma?"

Casey arrived back a short time later with a notepad. "Sorry about the mix up. Can I take your order?"

"The kids are still deciding." Kira replied. "Emma, Frank what would you like?"

Casey observed the young family thoughtfully. He knelt down beside the kids. "Personally I really like the Thrilla Gorilla." He told them, talking to the directly. "It's got bananas. It sounds odd, but it's really good.

"Can we get that mom?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Me too!" Frank piped up cheerfully. Kira smiled at her children and nodded.

"Sure, make that three." She told him, handing back the menu.

"Sorry, but the meat feast just speaks to me." Tommy interjected, handing back his menu.

"One meat feast, one Thrilla Gorilla and two junior portions of Thrilla Gorilla coming up." He answered, taking back the menus.

"You really have a way with kids." Kira complimented him as he turned to leave.

Casey thought about them for a second. "How old are they?"

"They're both three." Kira informed him. "They're twins."

"They seem great." He responded. "I'm Casey."

"Tommy." Tommy responded, shaking his hand.

"I'm Kira." She told him, also shaking his hand. Casey stopped in his tracks for a second, his mind turning over as he processed this information. He was sure she looked familiar.

"Are you Kira Oliver?" He asked her. Kira exchanged a kind of knowing glance with her husband. "Yes I am." She replied.

"Don't worry, I won't draw attention to the fact, I'll just go process your order." He responded with a smile. "I'll be right back. By the way, would you mind signing an autograph?"

Kira pulled out a pen as he laid the pad down near her, signing her name.

"Thanks." He replied with an evil grin. "My friend Lily loves your music and dances to it all the time. She'll be as jealous as hell when I tell her."

Kira watched him go, turning back to her husband. "I told you that taking our holiday here wouldn't get us away from autograph hunters, it's just something we have to get used to."

"You have to admit, he's been the first since we got here." He groaned, stroking the bridge of his nose. "If we'd gone to Disneyland like you wanted, we'd never get any peace."

"I suppose the fact there's another Ranger team here had nothing to do with your decision." She teased him. Tommy turned a little red and looked away as he stammered, trying to think of a response.

"Look, I'm kind of the Ranger historian; I wanted to find out about the latest team." He finally answered. "Is that such a surprise?"

"I suppose not." She chuckled, taking his hand. "You're such a big kid you know that?"

"It's one of the things you love about me." He replied cheekily, leaning over and kissing her. The kids looked away from the scene of affection as Casey finally returned with their order. He set the pizzas down in front of the kids.

"Enjoy your pizza there guys." He told them, observing them. He was about to leave, but he found himself compelled to ask.

"I'm sorry if I sound out of line here, but do you mind if I asked how you felt when you found out about the kids?" He asked her. He could see her looking at him a little confused. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I just found out my girlfriend's pregnant, and I'm kind of freaking out a little."

"Trust me, everyone does at first." She told him, her mind drifting back to her own experience. "But it's all worth it in the end. I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything."

"It's a little more complicated." He sighed.

"Oh come on, how hard can it be to want to be with your kid?" She asked him. Casey stood wordlessly for a second.

"Open mouth, insert size four." She muttered, realising her mistake by his reaction.

"It's alright, you didn't know." He told her. "Thanks for this."

"Casey!" Tommy called him back. Casey moved in close as Tommy gestured him over. "For what it's worth, my friend Billy adopted his kid. He's never been happier."

"Being a father's an accident of birth." Kira told him sagely. "It takes a very special person to become a dad."

Casey thought about Camille for a while. He did still care for her, and it just stood for him to get over his feelings about the baby. It still hurt that the baby wasn't his, but he was finally able to see that it wasn't as though she betrayed him. They weren't together when she slept with Dai Shi. Sure it was scary to think that he'd have to take care of a baby, but he realised that the feelings he had for her were so much stronger than his fear over the responsibility of childcare. He looked over once more at the family at the table, and smiled. One day that might be him and Camille with their baby. He made his way from the restaurant, leaving them to finish. RJ brought over their check.

"Did you enjoy your meal?" He asked, laying down the check. Tommy pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and started scribbling something.

"The pizza was great." Kira answered. "I'd never have thought about bananas as a pizza topping."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He told them. "I'll be back shortly."

Tommy slid the paper over to Kira. He'd drawn on it the symbol of the Order of the Claw. "He had a tattoo like that on his forearm." He informed her. He pulled out a picture of the Jungle Fury Rangers, showing it to her. "The same symbol's on the Ranger's uniforms."

"Do you think he has something to do with the Rangers?" She asked him.

"I think so." He replied, observing the unusual pizza chef. "I think if I find out what that symbol means I'll be able to figure out who the new team are."

Casey arrived up in the back room, finding Fran there, holding a note. The smile slipped from his face as he saw her nervous expression. She approached him slowly, handing him the note.

"What's wrong Fran?" He asked her.

"She's gone Casey." She replied, gesturing to the note. Casey began reading it.

'Dear Casey,

I'm sorry I hurt you, that was never my intention. I love you more than I can say, but I know that you cannot accept what I've done to you.

I can't harm this baby, I just can't. I don't have it in me. As much as this hurts, I can't see any way to still be with you, but I know you will only grow to resent the baby, and so will grow to resent me.

By the time you read this, I will have gone. I have returned to Dai Shi. I know he will not harm the child, and as long as I stay with him, my baby will be safe. I'm truly sorry for any hurt I've ever caused you, and hope you can move on with your life and find happiness. Please know that I will always love you.

Goodbye Casey,

Camille.'

Casey sank onto the couch, screwing up the note and throwing it across the room. Fran sat next to him, holding him as he turned in towards her and wept. She was gone, and he only had himself to blame. He'd been so wrapped up in his own pain that he'd driven her away, and worst of all, he'd driven her back to him.

Dai Shi led Camille back to her bedchamber, sitting her down on the bed. He kissed her softly on the cheek, before looking into her eyes.

"I'm so glad you've come back to me." He told her. "I can't wait to raise my child with you."

"It's been a tiring couple of days." She sighed. "Can you leave me? I really need to lie down for a while."

Dai Shi nodded and left the room obediently, overjoyed at having the mother of his child return to him.

Camille watched him go, before lying face down on the bed and breaking down in tears. She had returned to him for the sake of her baby. It hurt so much to leave Casey, but seeing his reaction to the news about the baby, she knew she'd lost him anyway. She now felt more alone than ever, she cradled her abdomen, curled into a ball on the bed and cried herself to sleep. All she had left was her baby, but her heart was broken. She'd lost him for good, and this was her punishment.


	8. Tragedy Strikes

The following few days, it was far from fun to be around Jungle Karma. Casey had barely spoken to any of the others since he'd found out that Camille had left. He wandered around the place in a daze, barely registering anything as he shut himself off from everyone and everything around him. When he did talk, it was short and to the point. The others had found out the hard way that trying to get him to open up about his feelings. If he didn't just rudely push his way past them without another word, he'd scream at them for what seemed like hours about respecting his privacy and leaving him alone. It was obvious that he blamed himself for Camille leaving, and nothing the others could say or do was able to convince him otherwise. He had taken to moping around in the apartment all day, which RJ had accepted was probably a good thing. In his current mood, he'd be of no use anyway, and would probably just chase off the customers.

Lily approached him cautiously with a bowl of cornflakes as he lay on the couch, staring into space. She and the others had been walking around on eggshells since he'd heard. No one wanted a repeat performance of his latest tirade. He'd sent Fran away in tears, and almost ended up coming to blows with Theo before RJ separated them and sent Theo to cool off. "I brought you something to eat." She told him nervously. Casey took the bowl from her and set it down on the table, before turning his back on her, facing into the cushions and burying his face in them. She hated to see him this way, he was one of her best friends, and it broke her heart to see him hurting so much. She was about to touch his shoulder, but thought better of it. If he wasn't ready to talk yet, then trying to make him was only going to cause trouble.

She left without saying anything else, finding RJ in the kitchen preparing ingredients and breathed a sigh of relief. She needed support at a time like this. Not as much as Casey did, but it was hard for her to take being shut out like that. RJ stopped what he was doing and came over to her, holding her close.

"I took him some breakfast." She told him. "He hasn't eaten anything in ages."

"He still isn't talking?" He asked her. Lily shook her head.

"I hate what this has done to him." She replied, sniffing back a tear that was beginning to form. "Camille's really done a number on him."

"Well I think a good ass kicking would snap him out of it." Theo replied a little coldly, arriving back in the kitchen. "What Camille did hurt, I get it, but it's starting to get a little old."

"Theo, that's not fair." RJ said calmly, turning to his student. "I know he hurt Fran's feelings the other day, but you know how deeply he cared for Camille. He isn't thinking straight."

"Well he better straighten himself out soon." Theo snapped. RJ watched him storm out of the kitchen. He could understand his anger at his friend, but at the moment, letting the two of them get together could only lead to bloodshed. He knew Theo still cared about Casey, and that he understood that he wasn't acting like himself. Of course, there was a big difference between understanding his actions and forgiving them. Casey had been incredibly unpleasant to Fran during their altercation, and while Fran had let it go, Theo was far from ready to just forgive and forget. He thought about it, realising it was kind of an interesting irony. If Theo could just see past his anger, and objectively look at how badly Casey hurting Fran had affected him, he'd probably realise how much worse it was for Casey and be able to sympathise with his pain. Those two were always far more similar than they'd like to admit. Not only was that the reason they butted heads so much early on, it was also the reason they ended up being so close.

"I think we need to keep them separated a little longer." RJ told his girlfriend, looking into her eyes. Lily nodded in agreement, and kissed him before making her way out to the restaurant to help Theo set up for lunch. He could only think that it was a good thing Dai Shi hadn't attacked since Camille had returned to him. Given the current state of affairs, the Rangers weren't really in much of a condition to face him. Of course he also worried for her sake. If Dai Shi wasn't spending his time attacking the city, then what did that mean for her welfare?

Camille woke up in her bedchamber, throwing off the bedclothes. She had been right about one thing, Dai Shi hadn't mistreated her since she'd come to him because of the baby. If anything, he was waiting on her hand and foot. He seemed to be genuinely excited at the prospect of the child's arrival, and positively doted on her. The level of affection he showed her since she returned to him was unparalleled. He seemed to love her now more than ever. Only a few short months ago she'd have been thrilled at the change in him, however, now all she could feel was the loss of the Red Ranger.

She had expected Casey to react badly to the news that she was carrying another man's child, but she'd always hoped that he could learn to accept the fact, even if he couldn't forgive her. She hadn't wanted to leave him; she definitely wasn't sure about returning to Dai Shi, but she didn't really have many options. The way Casey had cast her aside when she told him about the baby had left her in little doubt that he would never be able to accept her and the child, and it wasn't as if she had a huge number of friends to help her in her time of need.

She made her way over to the crib, gazing inside it as she cradled her stomach, casting her mind forward to the child's arrival. Any time she felt the loneliness creeping into her heart, she thought about the baby. It was all she could do to stop herself slipping into despair. She could imagine him lying in the cot, wrapped in those deep red blankets. She shuddered as Dai Shi arrived behind her, wrapping his arms around her. It wouldn't have been that long ago she'd have found the experience wonderful, but now it was a little uncomfortable for her. He placed a hand on her abdomen, stroking it tenderly.

"You're imagining him too, aren't you?" He asked her.

"I am my lord." She whispered in response as tears began to fall down her face. Dai Shi wiped some of them from her face with his thumb.

"I have found myself shedding tears of joy also." He told her, chuckling slightly. "Nothing will make me happier than when I can hold my child in my arms."

"As do I." She mumbled, unable to look at him. She no longer felt any pleasure at his presence by her side. He was nothing to her now, other than a way to provide for the child. The baby was now all she had left.

Tommy and Kira had been spending the day taking the twins around the sights. They'd had an enjoyable time of it, being able to get lost in the crowds without anyone recognising them. Tommy was carrying an almost sleeping Emma while Kira had Frank by the hand, leading him along the sidewalk as he happily licked an ice cream. Kira rolled her eyes as she realised where Tommy had managed to lead them without her noticing.

"Hey kids, does anyone want pizza?" He asked excitedly.

"Tommy, we've been here three times this week already." Kira grumbled. "We're not going to find out who the Rangers are by hanging around here, that guy's tattoo might not even mean anything."

"But it's..."

"So what if it's on the Ranger's uniforms?" She asked him. "Maybe that was the inspiration for his tattoo. There's always merchandise whenever a new Ranger team shows up. Do you remember the amount of crap with our pictures on it that they released back in Reefside? I still have my Yellow Ranger beanie baby!"

Tommy shifted a little uneasily and stroked the back of his neck uncomfortably as he turned a little pink. He had to admit that Kira had a point, but as well as that, he also had to admit owning more than a little of his own merchandise from back in the day. Kira noticed his reaction and groaned. She knew she was fighting a losing battle.

"Look, we'll eat here tonight," she stated, finally relenting to his curiosity, "but if we don't see anything tonight, then we just get on with the rest of our holiday, alright?"

"Did I tell you how much I love you today?" He asked his wife, kissing her cheek.

"That only gets you so far mister." She muttered, realising he's managed to pull the cute, childish act on her again and gotten his own way. "Tonight, and if there's nothing..."

"I promise if we don't see anything unusual, then I'll drop it." He replied, crossing his heart with his free hand. "I swear."

Heading inside, they found the place a lot quieter than it had been the last couple of times they'd been. There were only a couple of tables. Fran quickly made her way over to seat them.

"You're becoming real regulars. I guess we're doing something right." She chipped in cheerfully. "There are plenty of tables; I'll get you something by the window."

"Where's Casey?" Kira asked her, looking around the restaurant. "We met him the first time we came here, but we haven't seen him since."

Fran stopped in her tracks, trying to think about how to answer. "He's uh...taking some personal time." She answered half-truthfully. "He's recently received some bad news and needed some time out."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about that. Let us know we're thinking about him." Kira replied as they arrived at the table. "Could we just get a round of sodas while we're waiting?"

"I'll bring them right over." Fran told her. "I'll be back with some menus."

Fran made her way back into the kitchen. Watching her go, Tommy leaned over to Kira.

"You know, I used to need a lot of 'personal time'." He said, miming the quotation marks. Kira breathed a small sigh.

"He did say he was having trouble with his girlfriend." Kira reminded him. "Normal people need personal time too you know."

"Here are your menus." Fran announced, bringing over the menus with their tray of drinks. "I'll give you a moment to decide. Just call me over when you're ready to order."

As Fran made her way into kitchen, Lily was on her way out. Seeing Kira in the booth across the room, her eyes opened wide and she began pointing. Fran managed to clamp a hand over her mouth before she began shrieking and dragged her back into the kitchen. Everyone knew Lily was a huge fan of Kira's music. If she'd let Lily into the restaurant, there was no way they'd get to eat their meal in peace.

"That's..."

"Kira Oliver, the singer and record producer." Fran answered. "I know, but she's here for a quiet meal with her family."

"Can't I just go and ask for an autograph?" She asked in response, pulling her cutest, puppy-dog expression.

"That might work on RJ, but it doesn't work on me." Fran responded coldly. Lily began sulking. Seeing this, Fran relented a little. "Look, let them get their meal in peace, and then ask. I'm sure she won't mind signing an autograph after her meal."

"Oh I suppose I can wait." Lily muttered, heading back to the counter. "I promise I won't go all fan girl on her."

Back at Dai Shi's fortress, a spine-chilling scream echoed through the fortress, distracting Dai Shi from his training with Jellica and Carnisoar. His head snapped round as he heard it, his heart already freezing as he heard it. It was coming from the direction of Camille's bedchamber.

"We have more..." Carnisoar's words trailed off and were lost to him as he charged through the corridors in the direction of her room. He arrived to find her in her bed where he'd left her to rest. The blankets were wrapped tightly around her for comfort. She was sitting upright, rocking gently as she stared into space, tears streaming down her face. He rushed to her side, looking at her in fright.

"What's wrong Camille?" He asked her.

Camille gave him one of her hands, though it was covered in blood. She couldn't speak, her heart had been torn from her, but her expression said everything that needed to be said. Dai Shi left her side, heading over to the crib and rested his hands on the rail, staring into it as his tears ran from his eyes, falling into what would have been the first home for his heir.

"My lord." She whimpered, finally able to speak. "My lord, the baby..."

Dai Shi felt the pain in his heart poisoning every inch of his veins, burning like acid. The tears stung his eyes painfully. Tensing up as he felt his heart breaking, his grip tightened so much on the rail of the crib, it snapped off in his grasp.

"Dai Shi..." Camille began to implore him, though she quickly found her despair deepening, and heightening with fear as he rounded on her. His face was a grotesque mask of hatred, far beyond what it was possible for a human to feel. He crossed over the room, seizing her roughly by the wrist, twisting it painfully. Camille felt a sharp pain in her arm and heard a horrendous snap, informing her that at least one bone was broken. She looked into his hate filled face in terror, wordlessly begging for some form of mercy, though knowing that none would be forthcoming.

"You have weakened me so!" He roared, wiping away some tears with his wrist. "I have NEVER been pained so deeply! You have taken everything from me! You will pay for what you have done to me; mark my words you will pay!"

Camille never even felt the first savage blow connect; her pain was already too great. She just closed her eyes and prepared to accept her fate.

Casey was still brooding on his loss, when he became acutely aware of his hunger. He hadn't been able to think about much other than what was going on with Camille, but it had now been far too long since he'd eaten anything. He looked on the coffee table, finding an unappetising soggy mess that used to be a bowl of cornflakes. Lily had given him that hours ago, and now it didn't even resemble something edible. Quickly changing his clothes, he made his way downstairs. Fran and Lily watched him making his way wordlessly through the kitchen and into the restaurant, sitting wordlessly by the counter. Fran made her way over cautiously.

"How are you...?"

"Wings!" He snapped, cutting her off. Why did everyone want to know how he was feeling? Camille had chosen a man who'd beaten the living crap out of her for millennia over him. How did they think he'd feel? Of course he couldn't exactly blame her. He hadn't exactly been all helpful and supportive when she told him. All he could do was spit the dummy like a baby and sulk. He'd been so wrapped up in himself that he'd left her with no choice but to go back to Dai Shi. He knew it would surely be only a matter of time before he hurt her again, but because of the baby, she wouldn't be able to leave. He now had a way to tie her to him forever, and he had been the one to drive her back into his arms.

Kira saw him sitting on his own, and could see by the expression on his face that he was deeply upset about something. She looked to Tommy.

"Do you mind if I go over there?" She asked him. Tommy looked at him. He remembered that Fran had said something about him receiving bad news lately. Kira was always the kind of person to help out those in need, even if they were virtual strangers. It was one of the things he loved about her.

"On you go, I'll look after the twins." He responded, nodding in their direction. She began to make her way over, but before she got there, there was a loud beeping noise, at which Theo and Lily ran from the restaurant. She noticed the same beeping coming from Casey's direction, but he seemed to just be ignoring it. Suddenly, a trashcan flew through the window of the restaurant, narrowly missing her. Tommy was shielding the kids from flying glass as they looked outside, seeing the Yellow and Blue Rangers doing battle with dozens of Rinshi warriors. Seeing that they were struggling, she exchanged a knowing glance with Tommy.

"Fran!" He called out, waving the waitress over. "Watch the kids, we'll be right back."

They rushed from the restaurant, taking place by the Ranger's side.

"Get out of here before you get hurt!" Theo warned them. Almost on cue, Tommy dispatched three of the evil henchmen with expert precision, much to the Ranger's surprise.

"We're not exactly helpless." Tommy informed him. "Since your Red guy isn't here, it looked like you could use some help."

Back in the restaurant, Fran was keeping the kids calm, but saw that Casey was still sitting in his booth.

"Casey, they could do with your help!" She screamed at him. Casey looked up, a little confused. He was still completely lost in his own thoughts, and hadn't actually seemed to notice the chaos descending on them. "The other customers have run off, there's no-one here to see you, get your backside out there!"

He looked outside, seeing the Rangers, alongside Tommy and Kira holding off the Rinshi warriors. He had failed Camille, but he wasn't going to fail his friends too. He grabbed his solar morpher and activated it, rushing outside.

"Enough!" They heard Dai Shi's voice echoing around the plaza. He made his way into the central square, carrying Camille's lifeless body. The Rinshi warriors disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.

"I take it this is this town's big bag guy." Tommy stated.

"You could say that." Lily replied.

"I have drawn you out as I intended Red Ranger." He snarled, hurling her through the air. Kira and Tommy rushed forward, catching her before she hit the ground. "I have no more use for her. Take my cast-offs if you will."

RJ rushed from the restaurant as Casey made his way to her side, checking on her.

"You've gone too far this time Dai Shi!" He roared. "You're going to pay for this!"

"It will not be you who collects that payment Wolf Master." He sneered. "Why, you've been second place to me all along. You're accepting my cast-offs as well."

"I know all about you forcing yourself on Lily." He replied. "If that's the best you can do..."

"Oh, but she didn't tell you about the SECOND time did she?" He taunted him.

Lily and RJ exchanged a glance as he said this. She hadn't told him about the time he had used Camille's animal spirit to disguise himself as RJ.

"She didn't seem to mind in the restaurant." He continued. "I beat you to the first kiss, and I beat you to getting under her clothes. You really are second best aren't you?"

With that he disappeared. Lily wanted to say something, but she couldn't deny the look of hurt in RJ's eyes as he turned his attention to Camille.

"RJ, she's still breathing." Casey rushed out. "Can you...?"

"This is way beyond my expertise." He conceded. "Casey, she needs a hospital."

"But there'll be questions and..."

"Damn it, I know first aid, I'm not an emergency room!" He snapped at his student. "We can worry about questions later. If we don't call an ambulance she'll die!"

"I've got a cell phone, I'll make the call." Tommy told them, dialling 911. Kira looked around, seeing that the plaza was clear.

"You can de-morph, the coast is clear." She told them. The Rangers looked at each other a little bemused. She held up her left wrist, showing a silver cuff bracelet. Flexing her wrist, it turned into her Dino Morpher. "I know who you are. We have a shared past."

Casey, Theo and Lily all de-morphed, looking at her in shock.

"You were a Ranger too?" Theo gasped, a little unsure what to feel about meeting another fellow Ranger.

"We can talk about it later." Kira told them as the ambulance arrived. "Let's get her to a hospital."

At the hospital, Casey paced nervously outside the ICU. Camille had been taken into the ER quite some time ago, and they still hadn't heard anything. It was a long time before a doctor came to speak with them.

"Is there any family members out here?" He asked them. Casey stepped forward.

"She doesn't have any family." He told him. "We're her friends."

"I won't lie to you, it's a miracle she'd lived this long." He began. "Her injuries are consistent with a sustained violent assault, but the extent of her injuries I'd say are more consistent with a car crash."

"How is she?" Casey asked.

"We've got her strapped to a backboard; there was a lot of swelling in her spinal column. We won't know it there's any permanent damage until the swelling goes down. Several of her ribs are fractured; two of them are completely broken. She has multiple fractures in her left wrist. The main thing we're worried about is her head injury." He stated, listing her injuries. "She's received several heavy blows to the head. She's slipped into a coma."

"Will she be alright?" Casey asked.

"I really can't tell you that." The doctor replied, shaking his head. "She may recover, she may not. It's not an exact science when it comes to head injuries of this nature. All we can say is that she still has some brain activity at this time."

"What about the baby?" Casey asked him. "Is the baby alright?"

He shook his head sadly. "It appears she has recently suffered a miscarriage. I'm truly sorry."

"Thank you doctor." RJ said, shaking his hand. Casey however, just made his way into the room, taking a seat by her side. Seeing her hooked up to all those machines, lying in a limbo between life and death, his heart fell to pieces. She had lost the baby, and she could even lose her life. All Casey could think was that it was all his fault.

"I'm sorry!" He sobbed, burying his face in the sheets as he held her hand. "Camille, please forgive me!"


	9. A Lot to Talk About

Kira, Tommy, Lily, Theo and RJ arrived back in the restaurant a little after dark. The prognosis for Camille's welfare wasn't good, but there was nothing more they could do for her at the hospital, and so they had decided to return to the restaurant. Only Casey remained behind, refusing to leave her side despite all of their efforts. He was completely distraught and couldn't be reasoned with. It was obvious he still blamed himself for what had happened to her, but at this time it would be pointless to try and explain that it wasn't. As far as he was concerned, he may as well have put her there himself.

Arriving back, they found the restaurant closed, and Fran entertaining Frank and Emma while they happily finished up their dinner. It would have been pointless to keep the restaurant open, between the damages and the fact Fran was on her own, with two hyperactive toddlers to look after, there was no way she could be expected to serve customers.

"I'll get us all something to eat." He said quietly, making his way into the kitchen. "Fran, take them to the back room."

"I'll help you. Lily rushed out, but RJ waved her off.

"I can manage." He replied quickly. Lily watched him go, but couldn't help feeling a little sadness creeping in. She could tell he'd been hurt by Dai Shi's little revelation, but he obviously wasn't ready to talk about it just yet. She made her way into the back room with the others, slumping down onto the couch.

"I can't believe how far Dai Shi went this time." Theo mused sadly. "It's a miracle Camille's still alive."

"She lost the baby." Lily interjected sympathetically. "I can't believe Dai Shi would harm her while she was carrying his baby. The lion spirit wouldn't attack her while she was pregnant, I can't believe he'd be evil enough to harm his own baby."

"It doesn't make things much better, but remember that the doctor only said she _recently_ suffered a miscarriage." Tommy reminded them. "We don't know the full facts; it's possible that she lost the baby without any action from him. It's possible the miscarriage was the reason he attacked her."

"She was still the mother of his child." Lily reiterated. "I can't imagine how much losing the baby must have hurt. She needed support; I can't believe he took it out on her so callously."

"From what you've told me, he's been abusing her for years." Kira sighed, placing a hand on the young girl's and squeezing it gently. "He probably did love the baby, he was probably hurting too. It's not an excuse, but if he was abusive before, losing the baby was probably the straw that broke the camel's back."

"I just don't understand how you can hurt someone you love." Theo stated, putting an arm around Fran and holding her warmly. "I could never raise a hand to you."

"Most abusers have trouble dealing with their emotions." Tommy put down sagely. "Most people find healthy ways to deal with their pain, their sadness and their anger, but some people don't know how. It just builds up until it's unleashed in physical aggression. Unfortunately, the most readily available outlet is their friends and family, more often than not, their partner."

"That's not the worst of it." Kira told them. "The worst part is they tend not to know how to love someone in a healthy way. It becomes an issue of control."

"They tell their partner what they want to hear, and make them feel special during the good times." Tommy explained. "But because of their insecurity about their partner leaving them, they also plant seeds of doubt in their mind. They make their victim dependent on them so that they will become needy and stay. In the end the victim begins to feel like they deserve their treatment. They feel like they're to blame for everything that goes wrong in the relationship. They make excuses for their partner, but most of all they don't believe they deserve their partner. They feel like they don't have a choice but to stay because no one else will want them. That's the abuser's most powerful weapon."

"Most importantly, the abuser tends to be on the surface quite charming." Kira added thoughtfully as she lifted Frank onto her knee. "That's how they get their partner in the first place, but it's also the reason others don't believe they're capable of such cruelty. Many people believe that they are so charismatic that they're used to getting their own way and never learn to deal with conflict properly. When a problem comes up that they can't resolve by getting their own way, they don't know how to cope and lash out."

"How do you know so much about this?" Theo asked them as RJ arrived with the food.

"Sadly one of my best friends went through it." Tommy explained. "When I was in college, one of my best friends, Hayley, got involved with a guy who didn't treat her right." He held Emma close as he prepared to recount her story. "He was in her class; he was one of the smartest guys there. She really liked him, and everything was great at first. He and I even became friends; he seemed to be treating her really well. They loved each other a lot; they were actually engaged at one point."

"So what happened?" Theo asked him.

"He started feeling insecure about her intelligence. He felt threatened by it, so he started to undermine her confidence." Tommy told them. "She started spending less and less time with her friends as he tried to cut her off from her support network. He started hitting her not long afterwards. One day she tore her blouse on the corner of a desk and I saw the bruises. Because of my martial arts training, I knew they were defensive wounds, but I needed her to admit it to herself. I wouldn't let her leave until she told me what had happened. Eventually she told me he'd been beating her for months."

"But Hayley always seemed so smart and strong." RJ gasped, unable to take in what he was hearing. "I can't believe this could happen to her."

"How do you know Hayley?" Kira asked him.

"I'll tell you in a minute." He stated. "What happened to Hayley?"

"Eventually some of her other friends and I were able to convince her to leave him." Tommy told them. "It shook her up really badly; she was in bits for months afterwards. It took her a long time to be able to trust guys again. It really took a lot out of her, but she made it through to the other side." Tommy said, concluding the sad tale. "It's not about intelligence or strength. An abuser takes advantage of a person's heart. Once their partner cares about them, they can undermine them mentally until they're totally dependent on them. Hayley didn't feel like she _could _leave, even if she wanted to. It took a lot of convincing from me and my friends to make her feel like she could survive without him."

"Anyway, how do you know Hayley?" Kira asked again. "How did you meet?"

"We met through a guy I met during a party in Monte Carlo named Conner." He explained.

"Conner McKnight?" Kira asked.

"That's him." RJ confirmed. "He and his brother Eric are nice guys, but Swoop drank them under the table as easily as he did me."

"He's one of our best friends, he was our Red Ranger." Kira informed him, chuckling at remembering Eric explaining to them the Monte Carlo story. "So he introduced you?"

"He did." RJ continued, picking up a slice of pizza. "Hayley put me in touch with Andrew Hartford, who made the Solar Morphers for me."

"You know Dr. Hartford too?" Kira enquired.

"I do." He replied matter-of-factly. "He also leant me the money to open this place. We're pretty good friends."

"They kept that one quiet." Tommy grumbled, a little disappointed that Hayley and Andrew would neglect to tell him about the morphers and not let him know about the new Ranger team.

"Oh stop pouting you big baby." Kira reprimanded him playfully. "It's not like we tell them everything, they are entitled to some secrets."

"Talking about secrets, how did you figure out about us?" Lily asked. "I can't believe you were a Ranger too."

"We both were that's how we met." She explained, smiling at her husband. "Tommy's got this thing about being prepared. Any time a new team shows up, he makes a point of finding out who they are so he can keep in contact."

"You mean he can make contact with every Ranger there's ever been?" Theo yelped, his excitement obvious.

"Pretty much," Tommy replied with a slight smugness in his expression, "either directly or indirectly."

"So how did you figure out about us?" RJ asked. Tommy tapped his forearm with his finger.

"I saw your tattoo. It's the same as the pattern on the chest of the Ranger outfits." He explained. "We hung around hoping for some kind of confirmation, but it didn't come. We were about to give up and assume that your tattoo was inspired by the Ranger outfits when Dai Shi came tonight."

"I heard the beeping and saw Theo and Lily run out of the restaurant, and that made me suspicious." Kira continued. "Casey's morpher was also beeping, but he didn't go after you. Then when only the Blue and Yellow Rangers showed up, that confirmed my suspicion."

"I think we can safely presume that our secret's safe with you." RJ said gently, getting up from the table. "I have to clean up downstairs."

"I'll come with you." Lily yelled, getting up. RJ though waved her off again.

"We have guests." He told her. "I can manage by myself."

Lily slumped down on the sofa again, disappointment obvious in her face. She wanted to talk to him, she wanted to explain the whole situation with Dai Shi, but RJ kept shutting her out. Kira noticed her reaction and made her way over beside her, leaving Tommy to talk with Fran and Theo. She sat down next to the younger woman.

"You love him, don't you?" She asked her. Lily nodded.

"We got together a couple of months ago." She told her fellow Ranger. "He's mentored us since we became Rangers. We spent a lot of time together, and we just kind of fell for each other."

"You fell for your mentor?" Kira chuckled. "History repeats itself. That's how Tommy and I got together." She settled down as she prepared to press on. "What happened between you? You both seem upset about something."

Lily sighed and slumped further into the sofa. She needed to talk to someone, and if anyone would understand what it was like to be a Ranger and fall for a team member, it was Kira. After all, she'd ended up marrying one of her team mates. "Dai Shi took Camille's animal spirit, and using it's power he was able to disguise himself as RJ." She informed the former Ranger. "I thought it was RJ. He held me, and in doing so he got a hand under my shirt. He told RJ about it, I think it hurt his feelings."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Kira asked. Lily looked down at her shoes, as though somehow hoping they would provide an answer.

"I didn't want to hurt him." She murmured sadly. "I didn't want him to think I wanted it to happen. I only let him get so close because I thought it was RJ. I can't believe I didn't know! I can't believe I couldn't guess it wasn't him, RJ would never have..."

"Dai Shi took on his form, there was no way you could have known it was him." Kira said reassuringly, placing a hand on her back and stroking it. "It's no wonder you let him..."

"I pulled away." Lily interrupted. "RJ's the first guy I've ever been in a relationship with. When I felt his hand under my shirt I pulled away. I love him, I want to take that step some day, I really do but I just wasn't ready. When Dai Shi touched me like that, it just made me think about the age difference between us. I don't want to disappoint him but I'm just not ready."

"Maybe you should have talked to RJ about that." Kira suggested. "It might help."

"But I didn't want him to know Dai Shi had gotten that close to me again." Lily muttered. "I couldn't bear to disappoint him. I would never want to hurt him."

"That's something you really need to talk to him about. You shouldn't feel any pressure to go any faster than you're comfortable to, if he loves you as much as I suspect he does, he'll respect that." Kira reminded her. "As for the business with Dai Shi, by not telling him you've hurt him. Maybe filling in the blanks will help."

Lily looked at her, clearly a little unsure. "But he doesn't want to talk."

"If anyone knows what it means to let something go unsaid, it's me and Tommy." Kira stated as her mind drifted back to those early days, back when they served as Rangers. "We fell for each other in a big way, but he was my teacher and was waiting until after I graduated to tell me how he felt about me, and I was too insecure to tell him how I felt. I was sure he'd only see it as a school girl crush. After graduation I went to New York. I told everyone, including myself, that I did it to try and land a record contract, but I was lying to myself. I ran so that I wouldn't have to face him. Tommy on the other hand was hurt when he found out I was leaving. He stood aside and didn't say anything because he didn't want to put pressure on me to stay and stop me chasing my dream. He figured I'd have stayed if I returned his feelings."

"What happened?" Lily asked her.

"We got together three years later." Kira told her. "In some ways we were lucky. We got a second chance, and some good friends convinced us to tell each other how we felt about each other. If it hadn't been for that, we'd never have gotten together." She pulled closer to the young woman, thinking how much she reminded her of herself when she was younger. "I know it's hard, but some of the hardest conversations are the ones most worth having."

"What if he doesn't want to talk to me?" Lily asked. "I know I've hurt him."

"He loves you." Kira stated with authority. "You couldn't have hurt him so much if he didn't. If he doesn't want to talk, just try again. Believe me; you don't want to risk the consequences if you don't. It tore me apart for three years not being with Tommy. I've never told anyone this, but I cried myself to sleep every night for months after I left. Don't let your chances pass you by just because you're scared to have a difficult conversation."

"Thank you." Lily responded, getting up from her seat. "I need to go and see him."

"I'm sure he'll understand." Kira reassured her. "He seems like a nice guy. He's kind of strange, but he's nice, and he's completely into you."

"He takes a little getting used to." Lily chuckled thinking about him as she made her way to the door. "The first time I met him I thought he was high on something."

Kira watched Lily leave the room confident she would be alright. She was confident she and RJ would work things out.

RJ was finishing nailing a few boards over the broken window of the restaurant to secure the property for the night when she arrived. She knew it would be far too late for him to get a glazier out, so this was the next best thing. RJ continued hammering as she approached him slowly.

"Can we talk for a minute?" She asked him.

"I've not finished." RJ stated, carrying on. Lily surveyed the window thoughtfully.

"No one can get through that." She told him. "I'm sure we could talk for a few minutes."

RJ sighed and put down his hammer, turning to face her. "What can I do for you?"

"You could listen to me while I explain." Lily said morosely, looking away from him. RJ's shoulders slumped and his muscles relaxed as he saw this. He'd been so caught up in his own hurt that he hadn't noticed how much he was hurting the woman he loved. He immediately cursed himself for his short-sightedness and relented to her. He was normally so broad-minded; it bothered him that he'd allowed Dai Shi to get to him so easily.

"When Dai Shi was round here trying to snatch me, I didn't tell you everything." She told him, shuffling her feet. "He was disguised as you. He tried to kiss me."

"I figured he'd tried something like that." RJ answered softly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lily breathed a heavy sigh as she prepared to continue with the story. "When he held me, his hand went under my shirt." She looked at RJ, seeing that he understood what she was saying, even if he didn't like what he was hearing. "I pulled away from him."

RJ looked a bit confused as she said this. "You knew it wasn't me?" He asked, a little hopefully. Lily shook her head.

"I didn't know." She admitted. "I wish I could say otherwise, but I didn't."

"So you were pulling away from...me?" He asked, again looking slightly hurt.

"That's one of the reasons I didn't want to tell you." Lily explained. "RJ, I know you've been in a relationship before, but I'm pretty much sailing blind here. I'm kind of learning as I go." She crossed the room, placing an arm around his waist and pulled his hips in towards herself. "I want to take that step with you some day, really I do, but I'm just...not ready for that yet. I didn't want to disappoint you."

RJ cradled her chin with his hand, lifting her face to look directly into her eyes. "I'd never take things further than you're willing to go." RJ told her reassuringly. "You amaze me more every single day. I love you far too much to push you into anything you aren't ready to do." He kissed her softly, instantly making her feel at ease with the whole situation. She couldn't believe she'd ever doubted him. "I'll wait as long as I need to. The only thing that upset me is that you didn't tell me. I know you're new to all this, but one of the keys to a relationship is honesty. From now on, if something's bothering you then tell me about it. That's the only way we can sort it out."

Lily kissed him back, taking pleasure in the warmth of his feelings for her as he wrapped his arms around her in response. They parted a little way, looking at each other.

"I was also a little embarrassed that I didn't know it wasn't you." She admitted afterwards. "I'm sorry about the way he sprung that on you, I should have known he'd use that against you. I should have told you."

"Well it's actually an ego boost to me." RJ told her. "He had to force you to kiss him, and he had to trick you into letting him get his hands on you." He smiled at her, preparing for the next part. "I've EARNED your love, something he could never do. He might have been the first to kiss you, and he might have been the first to touch you, but he could never earn another's love. I don't envy him, I pity him."

"I'm really pleased to hear you say that." Lily replied, wiping her eyes as her tears started. "From now on, no more secrets, I promise."

"I'm really pleased to hear that." RJ replied cheerfully.

Back at the hospital, Casey was crashed out in the chair beside Camille's bed. It had been almost a full day since she'd been admitted, and exhaustion was now overtaking him. He refused point blank to leave Camille's side for any reason other than matters of necessity. He needed to know how this was going to end one way or another. He owed her that much, it was his fault she was there in the first place. One of the nurses came to his side and gently shook him awake.

"You won't do your fiancée any good like this." She whispered to him. "You should go and get some rest. We'll tell you if there's any change."

Casey had lied to them and told them he was Camille's fiancé so they wouldn't throw him out when visiting hours were over. He looked over at Camille's motionless body forlornly.

"I've prepared a room down the hall for you." The nurse told him. "You won't be far away. Get some rest and clean yourself up. Come and see her in the morning."

Casey nodded wordlessly. He didn't want to leave, but he couldn't argue with the logic. He wasn't doing anything useful here.

"I'll be back tomorrow, I promise." He told her, taking her hand in his. He leaned over and softly kissed her forehead. "I'll not go far."

Suddenly his expression changed as he felt something miraculous. Pressure on his fingers was increasing. It wasn't much, but it was miraculous in itself. Camille was squeezing his hand.

"Camille, are you awake?" He asked. He noticed the corners of her mouth twitching slightly, turning upwards a little at the corners. "Nurse, get the doctor NOW!"

Camille's eyelids jerked a little, before fluttering open, taking in her surroundings. It took her a while to comprehend everything, but it amazed her to realise that she was still alive. She was sure Dai Shi's intentions had been murderous when she'd seen him coming towards her after he found out she'd lost the baby. Casey leaned across the bed, looking her in the eyes.

"Camille, can you speak?" He asked her. The doctor arrived in the room shortly afterwards, beginning to examine her. Camille just smiled as the doctor continued to check her vitals, though as their gaze met, Casey just knew she would be alright. She had fought her way back from the brink of death. He held her hand, squeezing it gently as he surveyed her. She had come back to him, and as a result he had that oh so rare of things. He had a second chance. As he stayed there, willing back the woman he loved, he made a wordless vow to himself. Dai Shi would not get away with what he had done to her. He would not allow him to do this to her without punishment. Jarrod may be in there, but he didn't care. He'd hurt her and almost taken her from him. One way or another, Dai Shi would die by his hand.


	10. The Hunt

The doctor had just finished checking over Camille to assess her alertness. She had been unconscious as a result of her injuries at Dai Shi's hands for almost a full day, so naturally brain injury was a major concern. After assessing her for a few minutes, he had satisfied himself that there was no permanent brain injury at least.

"Can I stay with her?" Casey asked him. The doctor looked at her for a while.

"You can only stay for a few minutes." He told the Red Ranger sternly. "She still had a severe concussion, so she'll be exhausted quickly. She'll need all the strength she can get for her recovery."

"You'll get all the strength she'll need and more from me." Casey said to her softly as he sat down by the side of her bed, taking her hand in his own. "I'm here for you."

Camille mumbled something beneath her oxygen mask. Casey looked to the doctor.

"She can breathe on her own." He told him. "You can take off the mask for a while; just put it back when you leave. Like I said, we don't want her straining herself more than she has to."

Casey carefully removed her mask, looking into her eyes with a deep affection which lifted her heart a little, however warm tears began running down her face.

"I can't feel my legs." She told him in a sob. "I can't move."

"You're strapped to a backboard." Casey informed her. "Your spinal cord is swollen, that's why you can't feel your legs."

"Will I be able to walk again?" She asked him hopefully. She could already tell by the expression on his face she wasn't going to get a positive answer, but she still hoped. He shook his head sadly.

"We don't know," he answered, "until the swelling goes down, they won't be able to check if there's any permanent damage or not."

Camille brought a hand to her face, covering her eyes as she wept loudly. Camille squeezed her other hand gently.

"Camille, I'm sorry I freaked out earlier." He sighed apologetically. "You needed me, and I let you down. Please know that I'm going to be here for you from now on."

"What about Dai Shi?" She asked him. "What about the..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered the day before and the pain rushed back to her heart. It had been a shock when she found out about the baby, but she was coming around to the idea of having a new life growing inside her. The circumstances weren't ideal, but she was growing to love her child, it was a part of her. The miscarriage had made her feel as though a piece of her heart died along with the baby. She still couldn't talk about it. She had been devastated by the loss of her child, but she hadn't yet had time to mourn. Dai Shi's brutal assault had made sure of that. Casey leaned over her, holding her hand. He knew she would need him now more than ever, and he was determined that this time he wasn't going to let her down. This time he'd give her the support she'd need.

"I promise I won't fail you again." He told her, kissing her forehead softly. "I should never have left your side. I love you Camille, I'll always be here for you."

The doctor returned to the room a short time later, finding him still comforting her. He found it amazing that one so young would show such devotion to his partner. He came over to Casey, placing a hand on his shoulder, attracting his attention.

"She should rest now." He told him. "You can come and see her again tomorrow."

Casey turned back to Camille, replacing her mask. He hated to leave her, but he knew the doctor was right. She needed time and rest to recover from her injuries. As much as he wanted to be there for her and help her, he couldn't stay.

"I'll be back tomorrow." He told her, before turning and leaving the room. His tears ran down his face, and his muscles tightened within him as he thought about everything that had happened to her. Tomorrow he would come and see her, to comfort her in her hour of need. After that, all bets were off. The hunt would begin, and he was looking to land himself a lion.

Lily returned to the back room, finding Kira and Tommy getting ready to head back to their hotel room. She made her way over to them as Kira hoisted a sleeping Emma up to her shoulder. She rubbed the little girl's head softly, looking at her fondly.

"They're so cute." She cooed, observing the twins as they slept.

"They have that effect on everyone." Kira told her. "Sometimes I think they have some kind of pheromone-based mind control powers or something." She looked over to where RJ was talking with Tommy. "So did you sort things out?"

"We did." She replied with a bright smile. "RJ's agreed to take things slowly. Thanks for talking me into going to see him."

"Trust me; our friends had to smash our skulls together for us to get the message." Kira recalled, thinking about her own experiences. "I wouldn't want you to go through what I did. We girls have got to stick together."

"You were the only girl on your team too, weren't you?" Lily replied, once again finding herself comforted by how much she had in common with Kira. It was good to know that she wasn't the only one to have gone through this whole bizarre lifestyle. They'd only known each other a couple of days, but there was kind of a kinship between them.

"Kira, we better be going." Tommy reminded her. He turned back to RJ, shaking his hand. "We're here for another couple of days. We can help out until we head back to Vegas if you like."

"Yeah, Casey's probably going to need some time." Kira chipped in. "He's really taken everything hard."

"That would be appreciated." RJ responded cheerfully. "We could do with the help. Fran and I can take care of the kids if you're needed in the field."

"Well that'll be a big help." Tommy stated. "It's been a while since I last suited up."

"Oh don't try and pretend you don't love it!" Kira chuckled. "He makes out he feels put out every time he's called to duty, but he keeps coming back. I keep trying to get him to retire gracefully and leave it to the new guys, but he keeps coming up with an excuse."

"I don't exactly see you turning down the chance to get back to action." Tommy grumbled as he realised she was once again making fun of his apparent inability to just sit on the sidelines.

"Well it'll be great to have another girl on the team." Lily quipped cheerfully. "It's a pain being around all this testosterone."

"Tell me about it." Kira commented. "That's why I loved the times I got to team up with Tori. It was great to have someone know what it's like to be pushed around by the guys."

"When did they ever push you around?" Tommy laughed. "They wouldn't have dared."

"You had your team whipped too?" Lily asked her. Kira laughed and nodded.

"All guys are intimidated by strong women." She told her. "You have to be a bit firm with them at times." Lily smiled and nodded back in understanding. She still kept that leather jacket from the time she'd been affected by Dai Shi's porcupine monster just in case she or Fran needed to whip the guys into shape.

"Anyway, we really ought to get back." Tommy reminded her. "We'll be over tomorrow. Let Casey know we're thinking about him."

"We will." RJ responded as they left. Watching them go, the team gathered around, contemplating their new allies. Tommy was an adult, and Kira was a good couple of years older than them, though their shared experience of having to risk their own lives on behalf of the planet, a populace that could never show gratitude, never know who had saved them. It was nice to know that there were others that had not only gone through it, but were still going through it. They knew there had been other Ranger teams, but now they had direct knowledge of other Rangers. It felt good not to be alone.

"It's kind of comforting to know there are others out there, isn't it?" Fran asked them. Theo placed an arm around her waist, pulling her in close to him.

"It really is." He replied. "I can't believe we met them. I remember reading about the Dino Thunder team a few years ago."

"Tommy's a Ranger Legend." RJ informed them. "He's been a part of this legacy since the original team back in Angel Grove, and he told me he's really impressed with all of you." He looked around the team, the feeling of pride building in him. He couldn't be prouder of any of them. "You've just gotten the endorsement of the greatest Ranger on earth. You should be proud."

"We are." Lily told him, kissing the man she loved. "Now all we have to do is figure out what we do next."

"We'll discuss that when Casey gets back." RJ told them, checking his watch.

"I'm already here." Casey announced as he arrived.

"Is there any news on Camille?" Theo asked him.

"She's regained consciousness." He told them. "She's still pretty cut up though."

"I can't say I'm surprised." RJ sighed, approaching his cub. "She still has to come to terms with the loss of the baby."

Casey threw himself onto the couch, turning into the cushions. "Her spine's still injured." He breathed, choking back some more tears. "She might never walk again."

RJ came over to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll deal with that if and when the time comes." He stated as he tried to comfort his student. This whole business had hurt Casey more than any of them had ever seen. He pulled his shoulder away.

"RJ, can you just leave me for a little while?" He asked, pulling further into the couch. RJ just got up without another word, gesturing to the others that now was the time to leave him to his own devices. He wasn't ready to talk yet, and trying to make him wasn't likely to be productive. Casey was by far the most stubborn person he knew, and he'd become even more isolated and stand-offish in recent weeks. RJ had guessed that he felt like it was his duty and his alone to look after Camille, and that he wasn't willing to let anyone else help him. He was confident he'd realise he needed his friends eventually, but right now he wasn't ready to accept that he couldn't take sole responsibility for Camille's recovery. RJ and the others left him on the couch to rest. He'd had a long day; surely he'd have to get some rest to sort out his thoughts.

Of course Casey wasn't sorting out any thoughts, he only had one. He was going to ensure that Camille would never be touched by Dai Shi again in the surest way possible. He needed to find a way to bring Dai Shi into the open, and he had it in his possession. The doctors had turned over Camille's personal effects. She wasn't carrying much, but she was carrying the only thing he needed to bring Dai Shi into the open. Pulling her engagement ring out of the pocket of his jeans, he observed it thoughtfully as his rage burned in his chest. She had already told him about the ring, that it had some form of mystical connection to him. He had known the second she'd placed the ring on her finger that she had done so. That was why he had transported her back to him. Despite her escape, she still had the ring. Now Casey knew he could use that very same connection to bring Dai Shi to face him. He would never let him touch her again.

The following day, Casey got up early to head back to the hospital. He needed to see her before his battle. He arrived, finding her waiting for his arrival. She smiled a little as she saw him coming in the room.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her. She didn't answer; instead she reached out to him with her hand. He took her hand and sat down beside her. "I'm here for you, I told you that."

She turned her face away from him as she continued to feel the painful emptiness inside her. Casey knew there wasn't anything he could do about the miscarriage. This was one hurt that Camille would have to learn to accept. "There's not a great time to talk about this." He began awkwardly, stroking her hair. "Camille, you need to face this. You have to say goodbye to the baby."

A few more tears ran down her face as she continued to sink deeper into her depression.

"We don't have to talk about this now, but it's the only way you can move on." He cupped her cheek and turned her face towards him, before kissing her gently. "Take as long as you need. I'll be waiting."

Camille still couldn't speak of her torment, but she found herself feeling a certain comfort in his words. She knew he was right, sooner or later she'd have to face up to the experience of saying goodbye. She needed to mourn the passing of her child before she could get on with her life. Casey was happier now at having seen her. She now seemed to be more hopeful. She now actually seemed to believe that life could carry on. He got up, stroking her leg. Camille's gaze snapped to him. She was stunned by the sensation, her heart pounded as she realised that she'd felt his fingertips graze her flesh.

"Casey." She gasped as he turned to leave. He turned around, coming back to her side as he realised she had spoken for the first time since she'd remembered the miscarriage.

"Camille, you spoke to me!" He rushed out in excitement, taking her hand again. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Touch my leg again." She implored him. Casey laid a hand on her leg, and her eyes shot open wide as it confirmed what she'd found the first time. "Casey, I felt that. I felt you touch me!"

"Are you serious?" He asked her. "I'll call a doctor."

She felt her heart racing as he charged from the room in search of a doctor to tell him the news. He arrived back a short time later with a doctor. The doctor began checking over her, preparing her for more tests and machines. Casey knew that he would not be allowed to stay for the examinations, so now was as good a time as any to settle his score with Dai Shi. While she was in the hospital, Camille would be safe.

"Camille, they want to run some tests. I'll be back later, I promise." He stated as he watched the doctors take her from the ward. He couldn't help smiling as he saw her go. She was getting feeling back in her legs. It strengthened him to know that she was at least taking the first steps on her way to recovery. He just hoped that knowledge would give him the strength to do what needed to be done. With the determination of the tiger spirit he possessed, he made his way from the hospital in the direction of the old quarry. This was where Dai Shi had faced him the first time, and if Casey had his way, it would be the place they'd have their last meeting.

Lily and Theo prepared to make their way to the hospital to check on Camille and lend moral support to Casey. He had left long before any of the others had seen him leave, but they had guessed where he would have gone. They knew how deeply he'd grown to care for their former enemy. They found their respective partners preparing for the afternoon service.

"We're heading to the hospital now." Lily informed them. "Is there anything else you guys would like us to do to help?"

"We'll be fine here." RJ replied thoughtfully. "Just make sure Casey's OK. He's taking on a lot recently; I'm worried about him."

They both nodded and left the restaurant, heading for the hospital. It wasn't long afterwards that Tommy and Kira arrived with the twins.

"I take it everyone's at the hospital." Tommy mused, observing the noticeable absence of the Rangers.

"It's a bit early for pizza isn't it?" RJ asked. "What can I help you with?"

"We just thought you could do with a hand in the restaurant." Kira commented. "Trust me; the less said about my early career the better. I know my way around bussing tables."

"Well I wouldn't say no to more help." RJ commented, kneeling down beside the kids. "I really appreciate everything you've done so far. I can look after the kids if you like."

"Well..." Tommy was cut off by a gentle nudge from Kira.

"We'll both help out down here that would be great." Kira interjected, hauling her husband into the kitchen. "Are there spare uniforms upstairs?"

"Just look out one that fits you." RJ told them as he followed them up to the back room. Finding himself alone with his wife, Tommy decided to ask the question nagging at him.

"It's not that I mind RJ looking after the kids, I trust him." Tommy began, looking at his wife. "But I could have done it. Why am I going to be working in the restaurant?"

"RJ's looking after them because Lily's finding it hard moving along with her relationship." Kira told him sagely, nodding in his direction. "Trust me, there's no better aphrodisiac for a woman than seeing her man looking after kids."

"You really are a matchmaking mastermind aren't you?" Tommy asked. "She didn't have a chance, did she?"

"Not if I can help it." Kira chuckled, finding a JKP T-shirt. "Anyway, find a uniform and join me downstairs. Let's leave RJ and the twins to get to know each other better."

Lily and Theo arrived, finding Camille's room empty, though thankfully their panic was short-lived. The doctors had just finished an MRI on her spine, and were bringing her back into the room. They could see that she was no longer strapped down, though she was by now completely drained and had drifted off to sleep again.

"How is she?" Theo asked.

"She's regained feeling in her legs." The doctor informed them. "The MRI confirmed that there's no permanent damage, she should make a full recovery in time."

"That's great news!" Lily chipped in cheerfully. "Casey must be thrilled!"

"He was." The doctor replied with a bright smile. "He left here happier than I've seen him since his fiancée arrived. I wouldn't be surprised if he's off to get her some flowers right now."

"He left?" Theo asked, looking confused.

"He did." The doctor replied. "I'm just going to sort out the young lady's medication. I'll be back in a while." With that, he left them alone.

"I can't believe he left her." Theo stated as they were at last given privacy to speak openly. "If something had happened to Fran you'd need a crowbar to get me to leave."

"I wouldn't leave RJ either, unless..." Lily's voice trailed off as she hit the realisation what was happening. "Theo, there's only one reason he'd leave."

"You don't think...?" It was a rhetorical question, he already knew the answer. They rummaged through the side board for the box of Camille's personal effects.

"Her ring's missing." Lily announced in horror. "Theo, we've got to find him!"

Meanwhile, at the old quarry, Casey strode purposefully into the centre of the largest pit. He took the engagement ring from his pocket, throwing it into the air.

"I call to the beast inside. Unleash the tiger!" He called out, releasing his tiger spirit. It launched itself after the airborne ring, destroying it in a single attack before returning to it's master.

"It took me a long time to make that Red Ranger!" Dai Shi's deep, rasping voice announced from behind him, heralding his arrival. Casey's theory had paid off; the mystical connection HAD alerted him to the ring's destruction. Balling his fists, Casey turned to face him.

"I'm amazed you showed up." Casey taunted him. "I thought you only hit women who refused to fight back."

"You'll wish that was the case when I'm finished with you!" He snarled, casting aside his cloak. He powered up to his armoured mode. "One last time Red Ranger."

Casey pulled out his solar morpher, placing it on his face. He activated the switch before roaring out his call. "Jungle Beast, Spirit UNLEASHED!"


	11. Trial of the Soul

Theo gripped around Lily's waist for dear life as she gunned the throttle of her motorcycle for all she was worth. He was always nervous when she took him pillion on her bike, but white-lining down the freeway at close to a hundred while she weaved between traffic really wasn't doing anything to comfort him.

"You know, I need to breathe Theo." She quipped sarcastically, commenting on the tightness of his grip. She knew he was nervous, and always held her tightly when he rode with her, but now it was beginning to get painful. He loosened up a little, though not much.

"Lily, we need to get there in one piece." He yelled back, screwing his eyes tightly shut as she narrowly flew between a pair of 18 wheelers, risking being crushed between their combined mass. He could still feel the breeze rushing inward between the trucks as she made her way through the traffic with careless abandon.

"We also need to find him quickly." She reminded him. "If not, he's probably going to do something he'll regret. Try RJ again."

"RJ, any word on Casey?" He called into his solar morpher. Lily was going to use hers, but Theo had convinced her that wearing her solar morpher under her helmet and talking into it while driving like a maniac was probably not the best of ideas, and reluctantly he had agreed to be their contact with RJ.

Back in the apartment, RJ made his way over to his surveillance system as the twins satisfied themselves with his vast array of chips. "His morpher's been activated." He told them. "He's in the old quarry. I'm going to see if I can pull a visual."

He flicked through the huge assortment of cameras before finding one in the quarry. "Lily was right; he's there with Dai Shi."

"Crap, we're too late!" Theo commented.

"Not if they're both still breathing." Lily corrected him. "What's happening?"

"They're about to fight." RJ told them. "I'd say neither of them is looking to walk away. You need to get over there now!"

"ETA's about five minutes." Theo stated.

"More like ten." Lily corrected him again. "I know I ride fast, but not THAT fast, he's the other side of town!"

"They might not have ten minutes." RJ told them. "I've got another plan; just get there as soon as you can."

"We will." Theo responded, signing off, before resuming his cling for dear life while Lily continued to blast through traffic. If they didn't get there soon, bloodshed wasn't a likelihood, it was a certainty.

RJ rushed down into the restaurant, finding Kira and Tommy helping Fran with some orders. Kira appeared to be having the time of her life, dealing with the customers as she made her way between tables. Tommy didn't seem quite as enthusiastic, but he seemed to be dealing with it. RJ waved them over, knowing that this was yet another time he'd have to apologise for leaving Fran in the lurch.

"Casey's facing Dai Shi alone in the quarry." RJ informed the two older Rangers. "Lily and Theo are on their way, but it'll take them too long to get there. Could you two go there and help until they arrive?"

"In our experience one-on-one fights with the big bad guy tend not to stay that way for long." Kira commented with a nod. "It's only a short way from here, we'll be there."

Tommy's face crept into a grin of sorts as he took off his apron. As much as he protested, he couldn't hide his excitement any time he had to get back into the action. He even had his zeo morpher in his pocket in preparation for the occasion, pulling it out and strapping it to his wrist as he ran out of the restaurant with his wife. RJ mused on the legendary Dr. Oliver. It amazed him to think how he was still willing to throw himself into the fray, and he still carried that morpher with him. It wouldn't be him though; he wasn't even one of the Rangers here in Ocean Bluff. He also had the good sense to know when to stand aside and let the youngsters take up the strain. That was why he let them handle things, why he let her...

Thinking about the woman he loved facing that danger, his mind played on him, pulling at his heart. Maybe there was something to this whole Ranger business. He looked at the phone thoughtfully for a second. He still owed Dr. Hartford for the first time, but maybe he could ask for one more favour. His attention, though, was snapped back to the back room as he heard a crashing from his apartment.

"The twins!" He yelled as he realised he'd left them in the apartment by themselves. "Fran, I've got to get back to them, take care of the restaurant."

Fran shook her head in defeat. She was handling the lunch rush yet again.

Dai Shi was sprawled onto the canyon floor, laid out on his back as Casey smashed him to the ground. Casey returned to a guarding stance as Dai Shi pulled himself back to his feet.

"Why do you fight for her?" Dai Shi snarled as he stood up, preparing a guard and beginning to circle Casey menacingly. They circled each other, never looking away, never flinching, and never blinking as they prepared for the next assault. The blood was already like acid in their veins and their hearts pounded like heavy drums in their ears. Neither man could see beyond the other and the red mist in their minds. "She is nothing but a..."

"Shut UP!" Casey snarled, calling forth his Jungle Sabres. "You are not fit to speak of her, much less touch her."

"But touch her I did Red Ranger." He taunted him. "You know that more than most. You know that she and I..."

"That is ENOUGH!" Casey roared, throwing himself at his sworn enemy. Dai Shi called forth a broadsword, parrying his first strike as Casey pressed home his assault like a man possessed. Soon their blades were locked in a deadly stalemate, their keen edges millimetres from their intended victim. Beneath their helmets, their eyes were locked in a solemn vow that today; one would walk away, while the other would fall beneath the other's blade. It was a matter of passion, a matter of honour, and a matter of the heart. As a result, reason and good sense were going south fast. "Your time's up Dai Shi, today you die."

"You haven't the stomach for that Red Ranger." He hissed aggressively, struggling for position against the interlocked blades. "When the time comes, you will be unable to strike the final blow. Your weakness is what will be your end."

"I have no weakness." Casey roared in return, casting Dai Shi's hands aside before scything his sabres across his breastplate. "When you made me face a life without her, you took that from me! You're going to die today, and it's your own actions which have brought about your fate!"

"Not if THEY have anything to do with it!" He announced, gesturing over Casey's shoulder. Casey turned to see dozens of Renshi warriors appearing. He turned to look at his nemesis once more.

"Don't go anywhere." He sneered in disgust. "I'll be back for you before you know it!"

He turned to face the foot soldiers of his sworn enemy with the passion of the insane, completely blood drunk. He could already taste the stale iron in his mouth, blood seeping between his teeth. His heart was burning with fury and his mind was a cloud of hate. Narrowing his eyes, he roared his battle-cry as he threw himself at the army approaching him. No blow could harm him, or slow him in his path. He was going through every damn one of them if that's what he had to do.

He was suddenly aware of their numbers being cut down from behind, and quickly made his way through to see who his newfound allies were. He was confronted by the Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger and the Red Zeo Ranger. Tommy approached him, swiping aside some more Renshi Warriors.

"Casey, this is lunacy!" He tried to reason with the young Ranger. "Wait for the others, call this off!"

"If you don't have the courage for this, then get the hell out of my way!" He roared in response. He turned back to the battle, throwing himself into a furious assault.

"Tommy, there must be at least a hundred of these things!" Kira shrieked as she landed nearby, lashing out with her Ptera grips. "We need the others!"

"They'll be here soon." He answered her, calling forth his Zeo Sword and beginning to carve through the foot soldiers.

"What about Casey?" She asked, despatching more of them.

"He's too far away." He told her. "We have to concentrate on staying alive ourselves. Until we're safe, he's on his own."

Fran had just finished seeing away the last of the customers in the late afternoon. She understood the need for the Rangers to desert her when they were called to action, but it didn't make dealing with a whole service by herself any easier. She closed up and cleared the last of the dishes away into the dishwasher before she made her way upstairs to talk to RJ. However, seeing the scene before her, she knew this wasn't the time. She just snapped a couple of pictures with her camera phone before she left, chuckling to herself. She was wrong about the workload; RJ must have had a much harder afternoon than her.

Lily's motorcycle roared into the quarry, finding Tommy and Kira holding of Renshi warriors while Casey ploughed through enemies with the enthusiasm of a savage beast. Morphing into Ranger form, they made their way to the side of their allies.

"Sorry we're late." Lily growled as she smashed through their ranks with the Jungle Mace. "Traffic was hell!"

"Try driving in Vegas at rush hour!" Kira called back.

"Is that an invitation?" Lily asked.

"When we're a bit less busy, no problem, feel free to drop round!" Kira replied.

"Casey's gone back after Dai Shi!" Theo told them, pointing to his team leader. They watched as he broke free of the pack, surging towards him with murderous intent.

"We can't get to him!" Tommy replied. "Guys, we have to finish off here first."

"But Casey..."

"Casey has made his choice!" Tommy interrupted the younger Yellow Ranger. "Let's just hope he survives long enough for us to try and reason with him."

Casey let forth a brutal, bestial roar as he rushed back towards his most hated foe. He called forth the Claw Booster. "Jungle Master Mode!" He called out as he was bathed in the blinding white glow. "Spirit of the tiger, full fury! Jungle Fury Red Ranger!"

"Are you so eager to die Red Ranger?" He snarled, preparing for the attack. He positioned his sword to parry, though it was smashed aside in Casey's berserk charge, and hi claw booster raked savagely across his chest. Dai Shi rolled clear, realising his predicament. The Red Ranger had completely lost his mind.

Lying alone in the hospital, Camille couldn't think of anything but Casey. In her exhaustion, she wasn't very responsive, but she had been conscious as Lily and Theo had voiced their fears as to where Casey had gone. She knew only too well what was happening. He had gone in search of Dai Shi, and he intended to kill him, even if it did mean killing Jarrod in the process. She cursed herself for her weakness. Her feelings for Dai Shi had left her in this predicament. The man she loved was out there, fighting for her and was preparing to murder an innocent soul in the process to keep her safe. She couldn't allow that, she wouldn't. Struggling through the pain, fighting the stiffness and the weakness in her legs, she hauled herself from her bed. As hard as it was for her to go anywhere on her own, she had to save him, especially from himself.

Tommy was finishing with his own share of the Renshi Warriors as the others dispatched their own opponents.

"Casey's winning!" Lily called out; pointing out Casey and Dai Shi trading blows, though it was obvious Casey had the upper hand. Dai Shi was staggered by every blow, while each of his barely even caused him to flinch anymore. "We could win all this today!"

"No, we can't." Tommy corrected her. "All we can hope is that we don't lose."

"But Casey's beating him." Theo said, slightly confused. Tommy held up his hands to stop them intervening in the combat.

"It's not about whether he wins." He told them. "It's HOW he wins."

"I don't understand." Theo whinged as he looked at the older Ranger. Tommy looked back at him, hoping this was one lesson he'd never have to learn.

"He could win the fight," he began sadly, "but if he wilfully murders an innocent man in the process, he'll lose his soul."

Almost on cue, a huge swipe from Casey's Claw Booster smashed Dai Shi out of his armoured mode, exposing the true extent of his injuries. He was black and blue all over, and seemed to be struggling to remain upright. They watched in horror as Casey launched another upward strike, tearing him open from his left hip to his right shoulder. He lurched backwards, seemingly lifeless, though the movement let them know to their relief that he still lived, albeit not by much, and not for want of trying on Casey's part. Obviously he'd been moving away at the moment of the strike and had avoided the worst of it. Casey grabbed his helmet, ripping it from his head and launching it aside.

"I want to look you in the eyes and hear you beg!" He snarled as he mounted his fallen opponent's chest. "Beg!"

"Beg for my life?" He questioned the Red Ranger.

"No!" He hissed, drawing his Claw Booster up, preparing for the final blow. "Beg for a quick death!"

"Casey! No! You can't do this!" Lily wailed, throwing herself on her friend's back and grabbing him tightly.

"You're not a murderer!" Theo called out, joining her in restraining his friend. "Dai Shi deserves to die, but Jarrod doesn't!"

"Shut UP!" He roared, casting them off as dismissively as rag dolls. He turned on them, glaring at them. His eyes were no longer feeling, but cold, and hard as flint. They weren't even human. They were bright yellow, and his pupils were dark, narrow slits. Snarling, he revealed extended canines that gave him a bestial appearance. "One life doesn't matter..."

"Every life matters!" Tommy called out. He approached the young man slowly, cautiously, realising the danger they were all in as a result of his unbridled fury. "I've felt this way before, vengeance is all-consuming. It's not rational. If you do this you'll be lost to bloodshed forever."

"Are you going to try and stop me old timer?" He sneered dismissively, gripping the claw booster tighter.

"No, it's your decision to make." Tommy told him. "I won't stop you killing him, but make no mistake, once a tiger becomes a man-eater; the only option is to put it down." He gestured the others to his side. "As much as none of us wants it to happen, if needed we will do it. It's your choice."

"Then get ready for a tiger hunt!" He snarled, turning back to Dai Shi. The fallen warrior's eyes shone with an unspoken fear. Casey prepared to drive home the final strike.

"Casey, don't do it!" Camille screeched. He looked up, seeing her hobbling towards him in an ungainly manner.

"It's the only way that you'll be safe from him!" He stated, baring his bestial fangs. Camille's eyes filled with tears.

"But who'll save me from you?" She sobbed. "I have no more feelings for Dai Shi. I will never return to him, but I've lived too long around blood thirst and hatred. I can't do that again!"

"But he..."

"Look at him Casey!" She implored him. "We owe Jarrod so much. He released us from Dai Shi's grasp. He allowed us to leave with our lives. He was a jerk to you, but he doesn't deserve to die for that." Casey looked down at him, staring into the eyes that belonged to no monster, but a man inhabited by a monster. "Casey, please don't do this. Please, let him live. We'll find a way to destroy Dai Shi, but the man I love is no assassin. I can't be around another man like that."

Casey clutched his head as his thoughts threatened to tear his skull asunder. With a pained cry, he brought his Claw Booster down inches from Dai Shi's face. He got up, shaking his head and clearing his thoughts, his eyes and his teeth returning to normal. Carnisoar and Jellica appeared beside his fallen body.

"Go with your life." Casey told him. "But if you touch her again, all bets are off."

With that, the overlords disappeared with Dai Shi, and Casey left with his friends, both relieved and ashamed, he'd nearly become everything he hated, and nearly turned on everyone he cared about, and that scared him more than anything he'd ever faced.

Arriving back at the restaurant, they found Fran sitting in the restaurant alone. Casey took Camille over to a booth in the corner; there was much they needed to talk about. The others approached Fran.

"How were things?" Kira asked. "I'm sorry we had to leave."

"It's alright; I'm kind of used to it." She replied.

"How are the kids?" She continued. Fran pointed to both Kira and Lily.

"You both have to see this." She told them. She led them to the door of the back room, before holding a finger to her lips to gesture for them to be quiet. They entered, and Lily's heart did back flips as she beheld the most adorable image she'd ever seen.

RJ was crashed out on his favourite chair, cradling Frank in his right arm, while Emma lay asleep on his chest. They'd obviously all exhausted each other during their time together. Kira looked at Lily, seeing the misty look in her eyes as she beheld the man she loved.

"Gotcha." She thought to herself.


	12. Saying Goodbye

RJ stirred awake in the early evening, finding Lily on the couch looking at him with a slightly dreamy look in her eyes. As Kira came over to him, he carefully disentangled himself from the twins, allowing her to reclaim her children.

"You have no idea how cute that was." Lily told him, showing him the picture she'd taken with her camera phone. "You've given both me and Fran a new wallpaper for our phones."

"Glad to be of service." He joked, handing Emma back to Kira, allowing her to put her daughter into the stroller. "I guess I dozed off for a bit."

"Trust me; my kids have that effect on everyone." Kira told him. "My babysitter Dippy used to crash out on the couch with them all the time."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one." RJ replied, handing back Frank. "I was beginning to worry I was getting old."

"Trust me, everyone gets that feeling." Kira reassured him, strapping the kid into the stroller. "I swear giving birth to them was the easy part."

"I really didn't want to hear that." Lily chuckled. "I always wanted to have kids at some point."

"I guess that's my bad." Kira conceded as she pushed the stroller towards the door. "If people realised how much work kids are, they'd probably not have any."

"Anyway, we're heading back to Vegas at the end of the week." Tommy told them, being careful to keep his voice low so he didn't disturb the kids. "We could always extend..."

"Don't you even dare say it lover!" Kira reprimanded him. "We've got stuff waiting for us back home."

"But the Ranger thing is more important." He said unconvincingly. His wife though could see right through him and knew he just wanted to stay in the thick of the action to keep himself feeling young. Kira looked at RJ and Lily, thinking about how much they reminded her of themselves in their early days. She smiled as she thought about them. She could see the glint in Lily's eyes that let her know that seeing RJ with the kids had done its job. She was going to be alright.

"Something tells me Ocean Bluff will be just fine without us." Kira replied with a grin. "Come on, maybe you can live vicariously through the twins."

"Please, as if the world will need Rangers by the time they're grown up." He responded.

"The world will always need people to stand up for it." Kira told him reassuringly. "Besides, I'm sure you'd get a kick out of training the next generation of Rangers."

"I suppose I would." He chuckled. He extended a hand to RJ, shaking it.

"Don't let the young ones have all the fun." He told him, smiling broadly. "We old timers have to stick together."

"I'm not old." He laughed in response. "I'm..."

"I was 32 the last time I morphed." Tommy interrupted him. "And Merrick was over 3000 when he became a Ranger."

"Who's Merrick?" RJ asked.

"Maybe you'll meet him some day." Tommy replied. "You wolves are pack animals, I'm sure your paths will cross some day."

"Anyway, we better get back and get these two to bed." Kira stated, drawing everyone's attention back to the sleeping toddlers. "We'll bring them back at some point before we leave."

"I'd like another play date." RJ told her. "It was fun."

"I dare you to try saying that when you're doing it every day." Tommy chuckled. "We'll be back, I promise."

"Well there'll be a free pie and sodas all round." RJ assured them.

"You'll never get out of the red that way." Kira teased him. "You're too generous for your own good."

"Dr. Hartford's pretty cool." RJ replied. "If he doesn't get his money back for another year he won't mind."

With that, the older Rangers left the new generation to their own devices, happy at having met them, and confident in their abilities to protect the world from harm. As they left, Theo and Fran decided it was time to leave Lily and RJ alone.

"RJ, can you hold me?" She asked him. RJ wrapped his arms around her.

"Like you even have to ask." He replied. She kissed him deeply, before lifting up her t-shirt just enough to clear his fingers, feeling the warm touch of his fingers grazing the small of her back, and flinching as she felt a jolt of electricity running up her spine.

"Lily I..." She cut RJ off by placing a finger on his lips.

"I did it." She corrected him. "RJ, I needed to know for myself. I...I think I'm ready to take the next step."

"Are you sure?" He asked her, looking deeply into her beautiful deep brown eyes. "I won't..."

She placed her finger on his lips again, before replacing it with her own.

"RJ I'm sure." She told him, smiling at him as her heart raced at a thousand miles an hour. "I love you."

"I love you too." He replied, holding her closely and enjoying the warmth of her body next to his. The night was theirs and theirs alone.

Casey and Camille were alone in the restaurant, Casey sitting silently in a booth as Camille paced nervously.

"Camille, I'm sorry." He whispered through the lump in his throat. "I should never have left you. I drove you back to him, I know I did."

"Casey, that's not what's upsetting me." She told him, sitting in the seat opposite. "I made the decision to go back to him, that was my decision, not yours."

"But I drove you to it." He snapped in response, slamming a hand on the table, causing her to jump. "If I hadn't behaved like a spoiled child..."

"Much like you are now?" She whimpered. "Casey, I understand your reaction. As much as we've been denying it, you're a lot younger than me. You're little more than a kid yourself; it wouldn't have been fair to expect you to take care of someone else's child."

"That's my problem!" He snapped, slamming his hand on the table again.

"Casey, the reason I need to talk to you is that." She replied, gesturing to his hand. "You're scaring me."

He felt his heart deflating a little. She was scared of him? How had that happened? He'd never hurt her.

"Camille, why are you scared?" He asked. "I'd never do anything..."

"I've heard that from him more times than I can count." She interjected as she sniffed back a tear. "I don't need to hear the words; I need to feel it in my heart."

"Camille, I love you." He told her, taking her hands in his own. "I promise I will never lift a hand to you..."

"You were going to kill him Casey!" She stated, reminding him of his battle with Dai Shi. "You left me specifically to find him and you were going to kill him. If I hadn't come, he'd be dead."

Casey couldn't answer, he turned his unworthy eyes away from the woman he'd come to love. It was true; he was going to kill him in cold blood. She squeezed his hand to attract his attention back to her.

"Casey, I saw your eyes and I saw your teeth." She told him. "You were going to turn to the dark powers of your animal spirit."

"You've been doing that for years." She replied.

"Exactly!" She snapped in response. "So I know how hard it is to come back from that. I accessed that power at Dai Shi's will thousands of years ago; it's taken this long for me to break free of its seductive pull."

"I didn't succumb to it." He reminded her. "I..."

"You would have." She interrupted, cupping his cheek with her hand. "Your intentions were noble, but the means you were going to use were evil. You'd have been lost. The man I fell in love with is no murderer, and you were going to kill an innocent man."

Casey pulled his hands away from her and clamped them over his face as he broke down in tears. She was right, he was a mad beast. An animal deserving to be put down. She came over to his side, wrapping her arms around him.

"Stay away from me!" He sobbed, shrugging her arms off him. "It's not safe to be near me."

"That's my decision to make." She told him, putting her arms back around him. "You're still in control of your animal spirit, and you haven't crossed the line."

"But I might." He replied, looking into her eyes. "Camille, I wanted to do it. I wanted to kill him. I didn't care that I'd kill Jarrod in the process, I wanted to kill him."

"But you didn't." She reminded him. "It's the choices we make that define us. No one knows that better than I do."

"Camille..."

She silenced him with a finger placed on his lips. "Casey, you are in no position to make such choices." She interrupted him. "I've been beaten and humiliated, I've been forced into submission for thousands of years. I can't, I won't do that again. I can't stay with you if I think that you'll be like that."

"I promise you I won't." He told her. "I know it's only words, but right now that's all I can offer you."

"Casey, I need you." She whimpered as she prepared for the next part. "Tomorrow I'm going to say goodbye to the baby."

"Camille, it's..."

She cut him off with a finger to the lips again. "Casey, I need this. I need you." She whispered. "It's time for me to get on with the life."

"Well you'll not be doing that alone." He told her. "Camille, I was close to the edge and you brought me back. I want to do the same for you. I promise to be there for you when you need me, if you promise to do the same."

"I will." She whispered. "It's not going to be easy."

"Nothing in life worth doing is." He told her. "I love you."

"I love you too Casey." She replied, kissing him softly. "I'll need you tomorrow."

"I'll be there." He told her, holding her tightly. "I'll be there."

The next morning, Lily awoke to find herself in RJ's room once more. She hadn't been there since she'd regained her eyesight, but strangely it felt right. A warm, heavy weight draped around her gently. Lifting up the covers she realised it was an arm, and it wasn't hers. He turned gently, causing the man in the bed next to her to stir. RJ woke up, wiping his eyes free of sand as he came to.

"Good morning Lily." He greeted her.

"RJ, I don't remember a whole lot." She told him. "Did we...?"

"We didn't." He interrupted her. "You wanted to take the next step and now we have. I held you, and I kissed you, but that's all, I promise."

"But we're naked!" She stammered, still trying to make sense of it all. "We're in your bed..."

"I promised I'd not go any further than you were willing to go." He told her. "I've kept my promise. We only held each other, I swear."

"You mean you didn't want..."

"I do want to take that step with you Lily." He interrupted her again. "But I love you too much to disrespect you by taking things too far. I love you Lily and I always will. Believe me, as much as I want to take that step, I will only do so when YOU are ready."

Lily smiled at him, feeling reassured. As vulnerable as she was in this position, she knew in her heart that RJ was telling her the truth. She was completely safe in his grasp, and he would never allow anything bad to happen to her while she was with him.

"So tell me." He began, pulling in to his girlfriend, holding her in his strong arms. "How do you think I'd look in spandex?"

"Personally I think you look pretty good out of it." She chuckled; pulling in to the man she loved, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Besides, we're doing a pretty good job."

"I'm not saying you're not," he replied, "but I want to be with you Lily, and I want to be by your side. I want to help and serve and protect you as much as I can."

"Are you seriously thinking of stepping into the breach?" She asked him, turning to face him, flashing that smile that had totally bewitched his mind. "You want to fight by my side?"

"I want to be by your side." He told her, turning her onto her back and leaning over her. "Wherever you go and whatever you do, I want to be with you."

"You know this position could give a guy ideas." She stated, looking up at him. RJ ran a hand through his hair, sweeping it back out of his face.

"Not until you're ready." He whispered, kissing her softly. "Now, as much as I'd like to stay here all day, it's time to get up."

"You'd want to stay here all day?" She asked him, watching him leave the bed and pull on his boxer shorts.

"All day," he began, climbing back onto the bed and kissing her, "all night," he kissed her again, pulling hair out of her face tenderly with his thumb, "and beyond. I love you Lily."

"I love you too." She replied, kissing him passionately. "Now, I suppose we better make an appearance downstairs."

Lily and RJ joined the guys downstairs for the daily briefing. RJ immediately noticed that Camille and Casey were not in uniform.

"RJ, we need some personal time." Casey told the wolf master. "We've got something important to do."

RJ looked at him, already knowing what was happening, but not wanting to bring the subject up in front of the others.

"Both of you can have the day off." He told them. "We'll manage fine without you."

"Thanks RJ." Casey whispered, shaking his hand before leading Camille out of the kitchen. The others watched them go, inwardly thankful that they were not going through it themselves. They knew exactly where Casey and Camille were going. They were going to a funeral.

In the park, Casey led Camille to a quiet spot, well away from prying eyes. Warm tears fell down her face as they came to the clearing where they would perform the simple ceremony. Camille knelt down and laid a single flower on the ground.

"Goodbye my beautiful child." She whispered, finding strength in her heart she had never known. "You did not even get to experience this world, but you should always know one thing. Your mother loved you with all of her heart."

Casey knelt down beside her, taking her in his arms as she wept. She'd taken the first step, and as hard as that was, she had him by her side. She'd always have him by her side; of that much he was sure. Camille wept herself into exhaustion mourning the child she'd never hold in her arms. She'd never have thought it possible, but now she knew she was with a man that loved her, but would never hurt her. She was with a man who treated her well and would never raise his hand to her. She looked into the eyes of the man several thousand years her junior and smiled through her tears. Her days of pain and humiliation were over. Casey held her warmly as their gaze went back to the single flower on the ground.

"Goodbye." She murmured.

Fin.


End file.
